EXPANSION: City Hall nears completion

Government space boosted up to 220,000 square feet

The Henderson City Hall expansion project is not going to be ready when planners expected. It's ahead of schedule.

The expansion, which began in December 2001 and is projected to cost more than $70 million by its anticipated September completion, is at least four months ahead of schedule. The expansion will bridge the existing public safety building on Lead Street and the existing City Hall on Water Street, while adding numerous new features as the building goes from 56,000 to 220,000 square feet.

City construction manager John Simmons said, "The work has been going very well."

The existing $4.5 million building became home to the city's services in 1989 after the original City Hall across the street -- where Henderson's Justice Court complex now sits -- was torn down. As the city has grown, so has the personnel that works inside the building at 240 Water St.

About four years ago planning began for the expansion project to be completed later this year, followed by a 90 percent remodeling of the existing building. Not only is the construction management department involved, but there is a committee made up of members from each city department that meets to discuss input from staff.

"It takes a lot of people to put this project together," Simmons said.

Features of the new City Hall include adding floors to total four stories, a 40,000-square-foot development services center for customer service, a general warehouse, a media studio, an amphitheater, a Civic Center Plaza and a Veterans Memorial Wall.

The existing City Hall was planned to hold a maximum of 193 employees, but today houses 300 of the city's 2,168 workers. Most of the full-time employees are scattered among rented modular units throughout downtown.

With the January opening of the Downtown Recreation Center at 105 W. Basic Road, parks and recreation employees moved from modulars to an 11,000-square-foot office space. Other departments, such as neighborhood services, construction management and human resources, are still waiting for permanent placement.

These adjustments come with a price tag, as well as logistical problems. There is approximately 33,000 square feet of modular space being rented to house off-site employees, including a 3,600-square-foot construction management and neighborhood services modular on Tin Street and Basic Road, which costs the city $3,370 per month to rent. The information technology department is housed in a 7,200-square-foot trailer on Ocean Avenue, which costs $6,100 per month, while the human resources' 5,040-square-foot modular costs $5,015 a month.

Two years of rent totals about $860,000 for all the modulars, not including furnishings, maintenance and utilities.

Once the expansion is completed, city employees will have only four weeks to move into their new digs to ensure a smooth transition before remodeling construction begins on the existing portions of City Hall.


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