FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of Springfield has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) through 3 p.m., Oct. 1 for engineering and architecture services for renovations to Springfield’s Historic City Hall located at 830 N. Boonville Ave. A pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13 in the classroom at 216 W. Central Street. For firms who wish to submit, attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory.
The project will involve the substantial renovation of the interior of Historic City Hall so it can continue as a municipal office and meeting facility. The design will include a new fire stairwell and elevator capable of accommodating medical emergencies, new mechanical and electrical systems, information technology and security upgrades, new public restrooms, renovated office spaces and Council Chambers.
The building currently houses City Council Chambers, Springfield Fire Department’s administrative staff, the City’s Risk Management division and other City staff in office spaces that have not significantly changed since 1976. Council Chambers, located on the third floor, is the public meeting site for various boards and commissions, in addition to City Council.
City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Since then, standards and requirements for accessibility, energy efficiency and technology have changed.
“This building is a true Springfield landmark and asset to our community, but it’s currently underutilized,” explains Quality of Place Director Tim Rosenbury. “The scope of the renovations will focus on life safety, energy efficiency, reliability and better use of the space to serve as staff offices and a place for public forum.”
The City has budgeted $6,377,000 for the renovations, funded through the City’s Level Property Tax, approved by voters in 2017.
According to the RFQ, the City has elected to pursue the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method for construction. The selected architectural and engineering firm will work in partnership with a future CMAR firm as design work continues.
“The scope of the renovation project is still relatively fluid,” says Rosenbury. “We will work with the chosen design consultant to continue to determine what we can and should pursue with construction. Utilizing CMAR will also assure we will get the most for our money on a project with many unknowns.”
About Historic City Hall
The original Historic City Hall building was designed in 1891 as the United States Customhouse and Post Office. The building officially opened on June 21, 1894. The exterior was constructed of limestone quarried at Stinesville, Indiana. The first and second floors housed the post office, office space and support staff. The federal courtroom and offices were housed on the third floor.
In 1913, a major addition was designed and constructed on the north end of the building and wrapped the east side of the building.
A mailing vestibule addition was designed and constructed in 1921 onto the south elevation of the 1913 addition. It was enlarged in 1927, with four loading docks on both the south and east elevations. Today this wood-framed portion of the first floor houses office space for the Springfield Fire Department. A small elevator was added in 1932 in the center of the rotunda stairs and is still used today.
In 1973, City Council designated Historic City Hall (as United States Customhouse and Post Office) as a site on the Springfield Historic Register. Six years later, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 27, 1979.
In November 1992, most City offices relocated to the Busch Municipal Building, just north of Historic City Hall. Since then, the building has provided office space for various City departments in addition to serving as a public meeting space.
For more information, view the complete Historic City Hall Request for Qualifications.
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For media: contact Communication Coordinator Kristen Milam at 573-819-3713 or [email protected]