Does Kennewick need a new city hall? Designer hired to study the options
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kennewick hires Architects West for a $320,000 study on city hall.
- Study will assess 60-year-old building with $4M roof, $1M+ HVAC, data center needs.
- Master plan could guide siting and campus integration; pool replacement possible.
Kennewick will pay an architect firm $320,000 to design, plan and price its new downtown city hall.
Architects West will also be tasked with assessing the condition of Kennewick’s current city hall building to see if a remodel could possibly extend its life another decade or two.
The Spokane-based firm will also be tasked with drafting a new civic campus master plan.
The city is focused on building a new city hall in downtown instead of at another property, staff say. Over the summer, the city council voiced some intrigue in possibly rebuilding the city hall in a more centralized location.
The city council approved the spending at Tuesday night’s meeting, and it was discussed at its study session on Jan. 27. It passed unanimously, 6-0, within the council’s consent agenda.
“Council expects to receive the completed study in June to review and decide on a course of action,” Kennewick City Manager Erin Erdman said in an email.
The decision marks next steps for the city, which in recent months has prioritized replacement of its 60-year-old building located at 210 West Sixth Ave. With the firm’s work, Kennewick will be able to make clearer decisions about the future of its downtown campus.
City staff say the city hall is at a “breaking point.”
The aging building lacks staff space, has a $4 million leaky roof that’s poured rainwater onto employee desks, a failing HVAC system that needs more than $1 million in fixes, and a data center that needs replacement next year.
Architect West’s draft of a civic campus master plan will also help determine siting of the new city hall.
The campus — stretching between the canal and 8th Avenue, between Dayton and Auburn streets — houses Kennewick Police Department, the Kenneth Serier Pool, baseball fields and tennis courts, a branch of the Mid-Columbia Library, Keewaydin Park, and the Kennewick Athletics Center.
A decision on whether to replace the aging Serier pool could be made along with the decision on whether to move forward with a civic campus.
A master plan will integrate new facilities into a comprehensive campus vision using existing studies, strategize connections with downtown and parks, and identify potential recreation facilities.
