The city of Post Falls plans to build a new City Hall this summer, and has begun contract negotiations with Ginno Construction Co., of Coeur dAlene, which submitted the lowest bid for the project.


The new, two-story, 41,500-square-foot City Hall will be located on a 3.6-acre site at the northeast corner of Spokane and Fourth streets, near the current City Hall, which is at 408 N. Spokane, says Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin.


Last month, Ginno Construction submitted a bid of $7.05 million for the project, Larkin says. The City Council is expected to vote to award a contract to Ginno this month, he says. Construction should start by the end of this month and is to be completed by the end of March 2008, he says. The total cost of the project is expected to be about $8.5 million, says city spokeswoman Kit Hoffer.


G.D. Longwell Architects PLLC, of Hayden Lake, designed the project.


After the new City Hall is completed, the old City Hall, which was built in 1979 and remodeled nine years ago, will be demolished, Larkin says.


The new building will accommodate nearly all of the citys employees, he says. Currently, the citys parks, building, and planning departments; administrative offices; and council chambers are located in City Hall and two other nearby buildings a short distance away. Police and street department staff members, who have their own facilities, will remain where they are after the new City Hall is built, he says.


The city had planned to develop an energy-efficient building, but abandoned those plans this winter and redesigned the project to cut costs, he says. The city is considering its financing options for the project, Larkin says.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at emilyb@spokanejournal.com.