The biggest city event of 2009 is the opening of your new city hall! Long anticipated, the move to 625 Center Street achieves multiple community goals. For starters, we preserved and recycled an old building, the former McLean Medical Clinic. The site is centrally located and will serve as another catalyst to Downtown and 7th Street revitalization.
The new city hall is also Oregon City’s ‘greenest’ facility. Because it is the first city-owned building seeking LEED certification, it has a low-impact design parking lot, uses 25% less energy in lighting; diverted 75% of construction waste from landfilling, and used 20% recycled content in construction materials. You will find bicycle parking and preferred parking for hybrid/ carpool drivers.
You will notice improved customer service just inside the front door, as the new Reception area allows privacy for your city transactions. Additionally, you will have direct access to the Department you need. And you won’t have to leave your car to pay your utility bills with the new
drive-through payment drop box. Our new audio-visual system, paperless agendas, and greater technology in the new meeting rooms will enhance public use spaces.
The old city hall was very outdated, with cramped, inefficient work space and modular office trailers for staff. So I am delighted that we can provide a healthier work environment for our valued employees.
But not all of our departments have moved, since the new facility isn’t large enough for all services. Police, municipal court, and code enforcement/parking will remain in the old building. This move opens the door for our Police Department to consider how the old site can serve the needs of a modern police force.
Most importantly, the new City Hall was purchased and renovated for a cost of $5.4 million. The purchase was done through Urban Renewal because the location of this key building brings additional economic activity to both 7th Street and the Downtown. This Urban Renewal investment allows us to address a serious city facility issue within our current budget resources and without increasing your taxes or city fees to do so. This preserves other financing options to address other critical facility needs such as our Police Department and City Library.
If the appearance of city hall is the measure of a community’s self image, then Oregon City has just raised the bar. Your new city hall creates great opportunity! Plan to visit during our Grand Opening: December 18, 4:00–6:00pm.