The vision for a future Town Center for Johnston continues to become more focused, and one of the most anticipated and important elements is the development of a new City Hall, as well as the open space and trail head, which will act as an anchor for the surrounding commercial developments.
At their meeting on June 3, 2019, the City Council received an update on design plans for the new City Hall from planners representing The Hansen Company and Confluence. The concepts presented are still preliminary and subject to further change and refinement, but clearly the details are starting to become more tangible.
Previously, at the May 6, 2019 meeting, conceptual elevation drawings and a base line floor plan for 30 employees (occupying almost 25,000 square feet of office space) were presented. The preliminary designs also offered insight about ways the space could be configured to accommodate additional staff now housed outside of the current City Hall as well as how to handle future growth. Alternate floor plans showing space for 48 or even 60 employees were illustrated. The changes that were reviewed included a modest reduction in the overall size of the facility, and an option for adding a ramp at the west entrance.
Preliminary construction cost estimates were also presented, totaling about $9.2 million. Council members provided comments about how to improve building efficiency for the delivery of service while also providing a quality, welcoming public space for the community. Planners received the Council’s comments and will make changes that will be considered at a future meeting.
The target date for constructing and occupying the new City Hall is fiscal year 2021 (or as early as December, 2020).
Developers interested in learning more about how to be a part of the Town Center project can contact Hansen Real Estate Services, or Johnston Economic Development Manager Adam Plagge for more information.