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City hall will be multipurpose

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published January 1, 2006

BELLEAIR BEACH - Construction is expected to start in just a few months on a new city hall that will be larger, taller and stronger than the city's existing aging building.

The new $2.8-million, 12,058-square-foot Municipal Center will include two wings - one including a large room to serve as both a council chamber and community center, and the other housing administration offices and the Police Department.

The existing city hall, an octagonally shaped building, considered an architectural landmark since its construction in 1959, now is too small to meet city needs.

It also leaks, badly, during even normal rainstorms.

City officials began seriously discussing replacing the aging building some five years ago. An initial plan to build a multilevel city hall and community center was dropped because of cost.

Earlier this year, the council approved a $3-million loan from SunTrust Bank to finance the new facility. The loan is for 20 years and will be paid by non-property tax revenues.

The new, contemporary-style Municipal Center complex will be elevated 12 feet above mean high tide, a height that is 2 feet more than required by FEMA regulations. It will also withstand Category 4 hurricane winds of up to 140 miles per hour.

A glass wall in the council chambers facing the Intracoastal Waterway will be reinforced with puncture resistant laminated glazing. Exterior doors open onto a deck area that has a view of the nearby park and waterway.

The council chambers will include a media room to house equipment for televising meetings and for presentations during meetings.

The community room will include movable partitions that will allow it to be used for two simultaneous events. A small kitchen and lounge area will be available to residents who rent the community hall for weddings, reunions and other similar events.

The 5,854-square-foot administrative area includes a conference room, offices for city staff, and offices for the city's Police Department.

The city plans to use a large entry lobby and community foyer to display paintings, drawings and artwork created by local artists.

Public restrooms will be accessible during daylight hours from outside the building to accommodate residents and visitors using the nearby municipal tennis courts or Bayside Park.

When construction is completed, expected by June 2007, the present city hall will be demolished. The site will become a large, landscaped parking lot.

Harvard and Jolly Architects are now preparing construction plans and bid documents. The project is expected to go to bid in March, with a contracting firm picked in April and construction starting in mid May or June.

[Last modified January 1, 2006, 00:28:15]