Council provides updates on City Hall; approves demolition

HUNTSVILLE, AL – The common-place idiom “out with the old, in with the new” was very much alive this past week during the Huntsville City Council regular monthly meeting.

With the new Huntsville City Hall set to open in April 2024, the City is moving ahead with plans to take down the current Administrative Building.

The Council on Thursday approved a resolution allowing Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into an architectural agreement with Fuqua & Partners Architects related to the demolition. The contract does not include physical demolition, but instead the creation of a roadmap guiding the process, from utility disconnections and relocations to a final site plan.

The City will put the demolition out for bid next year. When the building has been removed, the property will become part of Big Spring Park East.

Ricky Wilkinson, Director of General Services, said the old Administrative Building would be taken down in phases instead of a large implosion. He estimated work would begin in early 2025 and take several months to complete.

How much of the building, which dates to the 1960s, can be reused is unknown. Wilkinson said structural steel can be recycled, while other items like security cameras can be removed and used elsewhere. He said the City’s maintenance teams would conduct a thorough inspection and save salvageable items before demolition begins.

“The old Administrative Building has served Huntsville well over the last five-plus decades, but our new home will greatly improve efficiency for all by putting more departments under one roof,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “It’s a beautiful building, and more importantly, it was designed with future growth in mind. We can’t wait to share with our citizens.”

The new City Hall project hit a construction milestone this week with the removal of the large tower crane, a downtown skyline fixture for over a year. Wilkinson estimated the new building is about 80% complete, though much work remains.

Elevator installation begins in early November, followed by the first test of the building’s heating and air systems in December. Crews continue to frame walls and ceilings before moving on to finishing touches like paint, carpet, tile and wood trim. The first furniture deliveries will arrive in February.

Wilkinson said departments will move in by phases, beginning in April. All departments should be in the building by early June.

“We’ve had a lot of positive comments on the project,” he said. “I’m glad the community likes the aesthetics of the new building and how it’s coming together.”

For more information, please visit www.huntsvilleal.gov.