City Center grand opening March 26
The City of Georgetown will celebrate the grand opening of two City buildings that are part of a civic campus for City government offices March 26 from 2-3 p.m. The event includes tours as well as a ribbon cutting at 2:45 p.m. for the new City Hall building at 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. and new Council and Court building at 510 W. Ninth St.
Known as City Center, the new civic campus includes City Hall and Council and Court buildings as well as the existing Georgetown Public Library that opened in 2007, the Historic Light and Water Works office building, and a public parking lot on Eighth Street.
The new civic campus centralizes several offices that were in buildings scattered throughout the city. In addition to providing needed facility space, the campus enables easier collaboration for City employees and convenience for residents using City services.
The former public library building at 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. is now City Hall. City Hall includes offices for City management, Economic Development, Finance, Communications, Human Resources, and the City Secretary’s Office.
Adjacent to the new City Hall is the new Council and Court building. The building includes the new City Council Chamber that also serves as a municipal courtroom. The addition also houses a jury room and council meeting room. Offices for Municipal Court and Accounting will be on the first floor, and the Information Technology Department is located on the second floor.
Both buildings feature public art installations, including a glass tile mosaic titled “El Arbol (The Tree)” by artist J. Muzacz and “DayScape Wonder” by artist Kevin Greer in the Council and Court building lobby, and “Bluehole Park” by artist Mike McConnell in the City Hall lobby rotunda. The City Hall lobby also features rotating quarterly art exhibits sponsored by the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board. The first selection features art by local artist Carol Light.
A walkway and public green space connect the Council and Court with City Hall. The one-block section of Ninth Street between the two buildings and adjoining green space can be used for small events.
City Center also includes the historic Shotgun House. The structure is representative of the types of homes that were common in the neighborhoods west of downtown. The Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association holds educational events at the Shotgun House about the history of the African American community in Georgetown.
The $13 million project was funded by proceeds from the sale of City buildings, municipal bonds, and fee revenues. The architect for the project is the Lawrence Group and the contractor is Balfour Beatty.
