Cottonwood Heights City Hall Construction Update

By Cassandra Goff | [email protected]

Cottonwood - Holladay - Cottonwood Heights began construction on a new City Hall in 2015. Over the past few months, residents may have seen the building beginning to take shape. Construction is just past the half way point, and the council is becoming increasingly giddy.

City Manager John Park reports on the construction progress of city hall every week during the city council meetings held on Tuesdays. 

On Feb. 2, he disclosed to the council that the construction team was beginning to put columns up for the council chamber. The beams for the ceiling were done that day.  Lentils, which go above the windows, were put in as well. 

Looking three weeks ahead from Feb. 2, the construction team planned on framing metal walls for the police wing, putting in metal around the offices and installing window frames. There would also be completion of masonry and the roof deck on the police wing, so hopefully weather won’t be an issue for the inside construction any longer. 

Councilmember Tee Tyler asked when the stone would be up. “Stone is the finish so it’ll be a little bit down the road,” Park said. 

Sheetrock is expected to be completed during April. Steel and other metals for pre-casting commercial fencing are expected. This type of commercial fencing includes bigger columns and is proposed to be more substantial and provide ease for accident containment.

The patterning around the outside walls of the building consists of four colors and two sizes of stone. The pipe drains and floor drains are already installed within the building.

The city staff has been talking to Internet providers in search of a 50-megabite fiber connection for the entire building. 

The council is slightly concerned with how close the building has become to Bengal Boulevard, and they hope to see more of an emphasis on landscaping. They have also expressed slight concerns about the monument sign completion. Signage packages have been called into question, but the team manager has found a package that will work well for instructional signage for the building when completed. 

The construction crew reports no major concerns moving forward, and the process has gone  smoothly.

On Feb. 10, Park reported that the electrical fixtures are being put up. They are beginning on the “nitty gritty” of the construction, he said. Windows expect to be put up quickly. He has been working with companies for furniture bids. 

On Feb. 16, the entire Cottonwood Heights City Council and some staff members attended a tour of the construction site. The council members Mike Shelton, Scott Bracken, Mike Peterson and Tee Tyler, along with Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore, enjoyed learning about the construction progress and the occasional observation. 

The city council and staff members have commented on the size perception, as the building has gone through many construction stages. Throughout these differences, their perception of the building being either too small or too huge has drastically changed, and it has been fun for them to reflect back on their observations. 

With $16.5 million going into this project, the council seems pleased with progress. They are already planning for accommodations and events in the extra space that the building will provide, such as hosting the volunteer appreciation dinner within the new gathering place. 

The council and staff are about six months away from moving into the new City Hall, and they have taken notice to how well the construction team has been working, with explicit recognition to a good team manager, architect, contractors and excellent engineering log. 

The proposed completion date for the new City Hall building is in September. The city council and staff members are catching up on the progress weekly and are excited to serve in the city’s new home.