Moline Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting on City Hall Rehabilitation - August 28, 2025
Moline Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting on City Hall Rehabilitation - August 28, 2025
This Committee-of-the-Whole meeting, originally scheduled for August 19, 2025 per the agenda, took place on August 28, 2025. The primary agenda item was a presentation and discussion on the City Hall Rehabilitation and Reuse Project. No formal votes were taken; the session served as a briefing for council members ahead of future budget and CIP decisions.
Discussion Items
- City Hall Rehabilitation and Reuse Project – Denver Schmitt (Director of Public Works) and Amy Gilbertson (Trivers) presented the findings of a holistic assessment of the 1914 building. Key deficiencies identified include: lead paint, asbestos, original galvanized plumbing, undersized electrical components, significant water infiltration causing mold, a non-ADA-compliant ramp, and deteriorating exterior facade. The preferred concept plan would move council chambers to the first floor, relocate finance into City Hall, improve security (public access restricted to first floor), move the elevator inside, restore the historic portico and parapet, and add a new accessible entry. The total estimated cost for the full scope is $17 million (with 11% escalation for a summer 2026 construction start). Council members discussed potential cost reductions: removing the portico/parapet restoration (≈$1.8M), not finishing the basement for HR (≈$1M savings), and postponing solar panels (≈$1M). These cuts could bring the project to approximately $14M. A comparison to new construction showed similar costs (≈$18M) but a later completion date (March 2029 vs. September 2027). Financing scenarios were presented by a staff member (Carol): for $17M, 20-year bonds at 4.4% would cost ~$1.455M annually; 30-year at 4.9% would cost ~$1.2M annually. For $13.6M, 20-year at 4.4% would be ~$1.1M, 30-year at 4.9% would be ~$915k. Discussion included the possibility of historic tax credits (River Edge program) but noted government entities are ineligible; grants such as Saving America's Treasures were mentioned as potential sources. Council members expressed concern about the overall cost and the cumulative burden of other city projects (e.g., Central Fire Station, riverfront), but acknowledged the building's urgent needs and the risk of further escalation. No decision was made; staff will prepare detailed CIP options, prioritize projects, and research grant opportunities for a future discussion.
- School Traffic Issues – Under Miscellaneous Business, council briefly discussed significant traffic backups near Roosevelt and Hamilton schools during the first week of the school year. Chief Paul noted that such congestion is typical for the first three weeks and will be monitored before further action.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or approvals were taken. The City Hall project will be incorporated into a broader Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) workshop scheduled for September, where council will set priorities and consider funding options. Staff will also compile a list of potential grants and their feasibility for the city.
Meeting Transcript
I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America. And two are public for which stands foundation under uh indivisible. Roll call team. Present present present. Okay. There is no electronic attendance tonight, so we can move to public comment. Chief Paul, do we have anyone? There was one here on it. I think we um do we have any questions on the agenda before we get started? Hearing none, um Mr. Schmidt. I will hand it off to you and we can get started. All right, uh appreciate the opportunity to talk about this potential project for City Hall. Um I'll give kind of a brief overview uh historic uh perspective on this project. Um how we got this directly that um we do have a few items that we budgeted last year in this year city public third for uh one of those as you're aware is controlled entry project and turbulent this year. We had two other bigger projects, um one would be a replacement and then also some teaching back up rates as well. Um so whether right or wrong, uh I decided kind of talk to Bob and Barry when maybe calls our closing of projects because we became aware of some other um issues within the building as well. So in fairness to the building, um some of those other challenges we can discover, and it's a part of our investigating before we move forward with other similar projects. Um so I'll kinda go through some of those um challenges. Um we knew so the building itself was built in 1914. There's not been a lot of uh major rehabilitation projects for the building uh since then a lot of the materials of our original technicality in the mid-century, um so we need some challenges that probably were not seeing the wall um during the controlled entry project. Um we assumed um that there would be a sus that we'd have to navigate burned. So we assumed as well that there'd be other assesses as well taking care of the different types of projects in the book. Um also because of the the history of the building, we assume that we're all right-based paint as well. That's historically that as well. Um for the plumbing, um there's still galvanized piping, um, which became an issue during the control venture project. If you're gonna write that project as you started to try to transition some of the pipe like uh galvanized typing and digits beginning. So we're assuming again there's more galvanized piping aside from the other end upstairs. Um the electron components might be original to the building as well, so they're under size, and definitely upgraded as well. Um for water, there are significant product water issues within the building. Um staff offices receive water when they've got rainbow and also the basement as well or sees the water as well. So there's concerns about mold and the the more mold the more just based on the condition that we wish or continue. Um outside of the building, uh the ramp that's out there is probably not 89 on the experience and establish back in the 90s. Um figuring it's a no longer, so we know that's an office. Um the exterior as well is starting to deteriorate errors on the actual facade as well. Um so with those uh maybe challenges inside and outside the building. We thought it was best to um not just do the smaller projects like the work, but really um look at the building more realistically and try to do more of so of the entire thing to the fourth. Um that point um sorry I also wanted to mention that we're all trying to reuse the space possible thinking about council chambers moving second floor down school for accessibility security versus one about the term um also moving the finance department to city hall as well for customer service purposes and also more collaborative and search and so because of all those challenges we decided um personally to hire a public expert and solve the real help was to be down and figure out if they have these presumptions or assumptions were true. So luckily we've been able to work with trivers or excellent farmers and knowledge for the work of historical buildings, especially a public side of the buildings as well. So very lucky. Um great job of figuring out this challenges exactly for the term executive. So we've been working on solutions as well, not just figuring out the problems, we make solutions we're all so involved side with SCP. Um so we've been working on the traversal as well. Um really we're looking at not just short term but long term. How do we make known sustainable urban actual learnings to make sure it's now safe but a fashion for staff and also for residents and also actually business within the city hall? So I know mine's more Google, but Amy is here with Troopers, so she'll kind of give it more of a positive message of what we could possibly do with the building. Um everyone water because I that's all a lot to tell you. So voice would get scratchy. Uh so I'm Amy Gilbertson. I'm a principal with Trivers.
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