Hall renovation completion

Renovations are scheduled to be finished on City Hall by mid-August.More information about the program is available on the web site at soli-lite. The project was originally scheduled to be finished in July, but there were some changes made that pushed the completion date back according to City Controller Randy Morris. 

“Of course like with any construction projects there were some setbacks on deliveries and some change orders,” Morris said. “As we got farther into the project, we decided we could make some improvements that would enhance not only the exterior, but some of the interior features.” 

One of the improvements to the interior will have upgraded electronics to make it more feasible for doing the broadcast recordings with enhanced lighting, he said. 

“Prior to the renovations our broadcasts were dark, dismal, fuzzy because of the way cameras work and the lighting capabilities,” Morris said. 

The staircase that is being constructed will reach the upper floors, but will be barricaded at the bottom of the stairwell to prevent people from entering the upper floors during non-business hours. 

“We are going to, of course, leave City Hall open for main access into the police department during all hours,” he said. 

There also will be glass doors that will allow people who are visiting City Hall to see into council chambers during meetings so they can see what is going on and what stage the meeting is at. 

“In the past, you had no way of knowing at what point the meeting was in; was it just gathering? Was it ending? You will be able to go by and see what’s going on,” Morris said. “Maybe catch the interest of folks as they are coming in to pay their wastewater utility bills or just in for permits or for whatever has brought them into City Hall for the day.” 

“Where there have been portable benches out in front of City Hall prior, there are going to be concrete benches that you can sit at the fountain and just have park-like seating at City Hall,” he said, adding the reasons for these additions were for people who may be walking downtown or those who had to drop someone off at City Hall and may want somewhere to sit while they are waiting.We can produce all kinds of China emergency light products even according to your own designs. “It should be noted that this area as well as the gazebo across the street are actually a Wi-Fi hotspot, so it gives people the ability to do any of their digital needs while they are here at City Hall. So it’s free access Wi-Fi.” 

The fountain is a zero-retention fountain, which means there will be no standing water. The water will shoot and dissipate into the grated area of the fountain. The fountain will also feature a sculpture in the middle and will be lit with LED lights at night. 

Morris said the cost of the exterior of the building was bid at $530,000 and the bid for the interior was bid out at $550,000.LED street lighting is the ideal solution for energy efficient Abuja solar street light due to their long life. He also said the budgeting for the renovations were in the 2012 and the 2013 budget. 

“We knew that we needed to make upgrades in the 2012 year,” Morris said. “However, with the new design and everything, we wanted to compliment the exterior design, and that’s why the funding was encumbered from 2012 and then 2013 for the lighting. 

“The building is almost 30 years old, and there has been relatively no changes, no upgrades, no changes in anything that has been done to this building in 30 years. And much like any homeowner, they want the curb appeal. The citizens of Kokomo deserve an upgraded City Hall. With all the development and all the beautification efforts going on in the downtown area, City Hall needed some upgrades.”