A new city hall is coming to an island near you. Even though its planning, design and construction are only in the diagram and discussion stages, members of Isle of Palms City Council are already considering a few options and sites.
At the Public Services and Facilities Committee meeting on July 9, representatives from Trident Construction in North Charleston and McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture were on hand to show possible designs, numbers, and costs.
“The City has not defined the project budget yet, but the Phase 1 study estimated new construction costs at $550 per square foot,” said MPS Principal Michelle Smyth in a June 6 letter to Trident Construction owner Todd Bulwinkle. “The size of the building is dependent upon the program desired.”
“So what we’ve done is put together four potential options as a starting point,” said John Griffith, Trident Construction project manager.
Here are the four options this far in the preliminary stages of planning:
OPTION 1: Attach a structure to the Public Safety Building. An attachment could be done either fully or partially to the existing PSB structure. Foreseen issues include parking, tying into existing rooflines, and keeping disruption to current occupants to a minimum during construction.
Solving these issues would require moving front bathrooms and relocating the Emergency Operations Center room on the upper level.
“If you go in the building now, there really isn’t a welcoming feel to it,” Griffith said. “Most of the functions are on the upper level, and you really arrive into a corridor.”
OPTION 2: Build a separate structure next to the Public Safety Building. A new building would cost between $7 million and $8 million, encompass 12,600 square feet on two floors, and eliminate the issues related to rooflines, employee disruption, and building-to-building integration.
Griffith pointed out that a new building would not only be more cost effective, it would also allow for more desirable features, such as a public entrance, and office windows
“There’s a need for many private offices because the city workflow doesn’t work well with a lot of open office spaces,” Griffith said.
OPTION 3: Build a new structure on the rear of Lot B. This 3.1-acre site at the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Pavilion Drive is currently a gravel and sand parking lot, but could serve as a major anchor.
One possibility includes a new 13,961 square foot, single-level building on the rear of the property. The building would come with a grand entrance, carry windows on all sides, and occupy part of the current parking spaces.
A three-level, $8 million parking garage is recommended for this possibility, partly to offset any lost parking spaces that would be needed for new occupants, and to help address beach parking concerns.
However, a deed restriction relating to recreational use would create some challenges.
OPTION 4: Build a new structure on the front of Lot B. This would entail 22,531 square feet spread over a three-story structure on the southwest corner of Ocean Boulevard to create street frontage.
While there could be other options on how to configure the building, Griffith indicated that the zoning on this parcel allows for minimal setbacks, and also provides space for a future visitor center.
Still to be done and considered are traffic counts, parking numbers, stormwater considerations, and possibly other modified designs.
It’s a lot to consider, but Councilman Blair Hahn is already favoring Option 2 because of fewer issues, and because of the “the synergy that brings all the services together. And you could easily put an event space on the top with very little cost.”
Councilman Scott Pierce added that he would like to see if grant money is available to help with the building costs. Once all the numbers are calculated and an option is approved by Council, all engineering design services are expected to be provided by Trident Construction through the following consultants:
Seamon Whiteside Engineering (Civil & Surveying). MECA Engineering (Mechanical, Plumbing, and Fire protection). GWA Engineering (Electrical). Cranston or Atlantic Engineering (Structural).
“I am especially interested in the city pursuing a multi-use concept for the project,” said Councilman Jimmy Ward. “The new facility could be rented out for weddings, family get-togethers, etc. It’s a unique concept that will benefit residents for many years to come.”
By L. C. Leach III
Why does the city of IOP need a new city hall ? A new and larger structure, as described in this article, would negatively impact public parking availability, which is a point of significant contention. Possible solutions include a new garage, likely on a very large concrete slab. What is the potential impact to water retention and localized flooding ? We have seen that even the most considered of projects have failed because of unforeseen events, meaning that project assumptions could be inadequate or even incorrect. This project would cost anywhere from $6mm-$10mm based upon estimates, which tend to be lower than final costs. So we have a costly new project, that would have a potentially negative impact on current conditions, and is designed to solve a problem that may not exist. Who will pay for the project ? Most likely the IOP tax payers. No Thank you. VOTE NO !