Midvale considering new City Hall, fire station

MIDVALE — City staffers have been sharing small quarters in their 1930s-era city hall for years but are quickly running out of creative solutions to cope with the lack of space.

The municipality is considering construction of a new city hall and fire station. But with declining sales-tax revenue and no impact-fee collection, the City Council is increasingly wary of new expenditures.

Plans for the new structure were recently presented to the City Council.

A new building could rise on city-owned land near Holden Street and 700 West, where a community garden and a baseball diamond now stand. The new center would cost between $13 million and $14 million, leaving the city with about $900,000 in bond payments over 20 years, according to city finance director Laurie Harvey.

Work could start as early as spring 2010 if funding is allocated, according to the staff presentation.

Alternatively, the city could remodel two older homes near its current city center and move some city operations there.

The majority of city offices could also remain in the asbestos-plagued, inefficient building, but doing so comes at a health, safety and maintenance cost, according to Midvale city manager Kane Loader. Among the structure's biggest problems is its complete lack of seismic upgrades.

Midvale's city center was originally built as a county library almost 80 years ago. It was then remodeled into City Hall in the 1970s and again refinished in 2002.

But even with the changes, the city does not own a space big enough to hold all 200 staffers at once, Loader said. Midvale has even held off on hiring a full-time city attorney or prosecuting attorney because no office space is available.

"We're maxed out in this building," Loader said, "and if we need new space, there's just no way to do it."

The problem is compounded by growth on the city's west side. Loader projects the city will see 15,000 new residents in the next 10 years. The new denizens will require additional police, fire, public works and courts employees, he said.

Midvale also has concerns with the amount of energy and water wasted in the existing building. Heating and cooling systems are woefully inadequate, necessitating private fans and heaters in each office, he said. And water must be pumped down to the basement and back up to sewer level to run the boiler.

"We're constantly harping on our residents about water consumption, and we can't do it ourselves," Loader said.

For now, the Midvale City Council wants to hold off on new construction rather than increase property taxes. But the council is crossing its fingers, hoping for up to $5 million in federal stimulus funding.

Until then, staff members will just have to sit tight and pray no earthquakes come their way.

The city will continue discussing this issue as part of updating its facilities master plan. For more information or to leave comments, visit midvalecity.org.

E-MAIL: rpalmer@desnews.com