Tom Kirkman, public works director, presented a proposed remodel of the Public Works building at 2405 Garraway that would create a new engineering suite (about 10 offices plus cubicles and conference space), expand the traffic operations center, and provide space for training simulators. Kirkman said the facility was purchased in 2018, currently houses roughly 100 employees, and that the proposed work would not add building footprint but would reconfigure interior space.

Kirkman said the building is owned by street and sanitation, so those departments would fund most of the remodel, and outlined next steps if the council directs staff to proceed: issue an RFQ for a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC), finalize plans with an architect, negotiate a guaranteed maximum price and then construct.

Council member Paulson asked whether a pending RFQ for a new city hall would make the remodel redundant; planning staff said they had selected an architect for the city hall RFQ and would bring a proposal in January. Several council members said they preferred waiting until January so the incoming council and mayor-elect can weigh in. The mayor responded that he had no problem waiting for the RFQ results but directed staff to move the WPC and water engineers back to their utilities immediately to avoid potential legal exposure from using utility funds for non-utility work.

Council asked for additional options and cost comparisons (for example, the difference between simply modernizing the traffic operations center and a full engineering relocation). Tom Kirkman said the proposal assumed $150 per square foot for estimating and indicated engineering would be less than half of the total assumed cost. The item will return to a future work session (February) with additional detail and cost options.