Cedar Falls councilors take deeper look at City Hall remodeling proposal

CEDAR FALLS – The City Council is placing the estimated $4.5 million City Hall remodeling proposal under a magnifying glass.

A public hearing was scheduled for Oct. 18 by the council in a 6-1 vote Monday after one council member raised objections and another expressed hesitation about the high cost.

If a contract is awarded for the project, work is expected to begin before the end of this year.

$1 for 6 months of local news

“I just think it’s a tremendous amount of money to be spent at this time,” said Councilor Dave Sires about the project.

City staff originally estimated the cost at $6 million when planning began for addressing aspects of the facility that are a couple decades old.

Sires said he and Councilor Susan deBuhr toured the building’s downstairs, and pointed out that “everything looks pretty nice. I don’t see any walls crumbling in.”

DeBuhr requested photos of the “old” boiler and heating system. Staff have indicated the heating and air conditioning system is dated, with $2.3 million being allocated for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing improvements, and more specifically a new variable refrigerant flow system, fire alarm panel, LED lights, and security system updates.

“A study was completed with the assistance of Cedar Falls Utilities. This study led us to determine the most efficient solution is to replace the current system with a new variable refrigerant flow system,” said Building Official Jamie Castle in a letter to officials. “The cost was also analyzed, finding it would be similar to the cost to update our current system and will have lower lifetime costs. The VRF system will also give us more freedom and flexibility for maintenance, future adjustments, and individualized comfort.”