Celebrate with us at the Ribbon Cutting and Dedication Ceremony
Saturday, October 10
Doors open at 10:00 a.m., Ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m.
Shoreline City Hall
17500 Midvale Avenue N
Event parking map
Since incorporation in 1995, Shoreline leased office space for staff in two adjacent buildings and held Council meetings a mile away at another facility. One of the community’s earliest visions was to build – and own – its city hall.
Now that vision is a reality. Shoreline City Hall opened its doors August 17 at 17500 Midvale Avenue N. City Hall visitor's parking map.
Knowing leasing wasn’t financially sensible for the long-term nor was the arrangement convenient for those seeking City services, early City Councils began a tradition of saving for a City Hall that was carried out through the years.
The money accrued over the years allowed the City to buy the land outright and put a significant down payment on project costs. No new taxes will be needed to fund the project and debt was kept to a minimum not only by the significant down payment, but because the City’s strong financial standing earned it very low interest rates. Phase one construction of the City building and courtyard came in within budget and a week early.
“Financing construction of City Hall has been part of the City’s long-term financial planning,” says City Manager Bob Olander. “We selected a construction and financing model that contains the impact of rising costs on the City that is an inherent risk of traditional construction.”
Shoreline’s City Hall/Civic Center more than meets the City’s intent of smart design with a focus on customer service, transparency and accessibility to the entire community. Construction that began last year on the 67,000-square-foot building was completed in August and the adjacent parking garage and amphitheater will be finished in December.
Though City Hall is the base of the City’s operations, the building also endeavors to promote and enhance the quality of life for the Shoreline community. It is designed not only for government functions, but to serve a greater purpose as a Civic Center by providing the community with space for various community and cultural activities.
Built to high sustainability and green standards, this versatile facility features a spacious lobby, conference facilities, water features, an outdoor grass amphitheater, a demonstration green roof, a non-smoking campus and office space for lease.
Please join the Shoreline City Council in celebrating this exciting milestone in Shoreline’s history at the Ribbon-Cutting Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Avenue N. Doors will open at 10:00 a.m. and the ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Tours will be offered to show visitors around the building and point out the various sustainable building features and public art. Signs will guide visitors to temporary event parking areas.
"This is an exciting time for all of us with benefits for both staff and residents,” says City Manager Bob Olander. “The City Hall design will not only help us provide services more efficiently, but will provide better access and multiple uses to the community. For example, the parking structure could be used for a farmers market on weekends and the Council chambers opening onto the courtyard could be used for concerts. We hope it will be a focal point that brings the community together."
Shoreline's new City Council Chambers is easily accessible from the lobby or courtyard. Council will begin meeting in the new chambers once the parking garage is completed this winter.
Project history and funding
The City has been setting aside money for the construction of its own City Hall for more than a decade. In 2006, the City used saved cash to purchase the property where the new City Hall is located. In 2007, the City Council authorized a design-build, build-to-suit/lease-to-own delivery method to develop City Hall, and OPUS Northwest, L.L.C. was selected as the project developer.
The combination of the design-build, build-to-suit/lease-to-own methods provided the City with input in the design of the building while limiting the City’s exposure to cost overruns. The process also allowed the City to develop a strong management team approach with OPUS Northwest and to develop, with community input, a set of Guiding Principles for the project design and construction.
Through careful planning, the City saved enough money to purchase the City Hall property and to put an additional $10 million toward the project costs, limiting the City’s debt. The total project cost is approximately $33 million with $22 million of that to be paid with a combination of tax-exempt general obligation bonds and Build America Bonds (BABs). The BABs are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and provide a 35% subsidy on interest payments from the Federal Government. By using a combination of bonds, the City will be able to realize a debt service savings of over $3.8 million. Shoreline also obtained a combined interest rate of 3.939% due to its strong Standard and Poor’s AA+ rating.
No new taxes will be required to pay for the new building. The City will use a combination of general fund monies, previously used to pay rent on the old city hall facilities, and a portion of the Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET) to make the annual debt service payments on the bonds.
The new building serves as an anchor in the community, allowing connections to the Interurban Trail, mass transit along 175th Street and Aurora Avenue and new public gathering spaces such as a park between Midvale Avenue and Aurora Avenue. It is expected to serve the Shoreline community for at least the next 50 years and was designed to meet the City’s planned growth needs well into the future.
1% for the Arts
The design includes public art with a one-of-a-kind flowering dogwood tree treatment on the building’s inner courtyard wall by northwest artist Linda Beaumont. It is the largest civic art presentation in the area.
Suspended from the ceiling in the lobby of City Hall are 14 “clouds” designed by artist Leo Saul Berk that represent the 14 neighborhoods in Shoreline.
LEED certification pending
In the many public meetings leading up to design of the project, Shoreline residents asked that City Hall be built using the highest level of green building practices available for new construction.
Regional partners contributed consultation support and grants to achieve that goal. Seattle City Light Utility supported solar energy utilization and extensive energy conservation measures throughout the building; King County Department of Natural Resources provided a grant that insured the incorporation of environmental green building strategies; and King Conservation District funded water quality features, such as the rain gardens, demonstration native plant gardens, and green roof.
The finished product is a true “green building,” and the City is on target to achieve silver certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Through further enhancements to the building, the City hopes to elevate its rating to gold status.
Created by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1998, LEED is a green building certification system that promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability. The certification progress is rigorous and organizations seeking certification must develop sustainable building practices from the beginning design phase. Buildings can achieve certified, silver, gold or platinum ratings. The LEED certification is recognized around the world and shows an organization’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Six building components are considered for LEED certification:
- Sustainable sites
- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Indoor environmental quality
- Innovation and design process
The following building elements incorporated in Shoreline City Hall will be used to achieve LEED certification:
PERVIOUS CONCRETE - Rainfall will penetrate the sidewalk surfaces allowing it to seep back into the ground and reduce stormwater runoff.
SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING - Exterior garbage cans will be solar photovoltaic powered compacters, which cuts down on maintenance costs and uses renewable energy. Food scraps from the city hall kitchens will be recycled and used for compost.
LOW EMITTING MATERIALS - To preserve indoor air quality for staff and visitors, all adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpet and composite wood products used inside the building are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
SOLAR SHADES - Solar shades on the West and South facades keep the building cooler on sunny days and conserve energy by relieving the burden on cooling systems.
RAIN GARDENS - Rainfall at the site is directed to rain gardens with plants that remove pollutants from the rainwater before it flows to streams and lakes.
‘GREEN’ ROOF - A 3,050-square-foot green roof of plantings atop the Council Chamber helps to insulate the structure, improving comfort for those inside and reducing energy use. The plantings also absorb rainwater, slowing down and diverting impacts to the municipal stormwater system.
ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING STATIONS - Charging stations allow staff or visitors with electric cars a convenient opportunity to charge their car batteries while conducting business inside.
BIKE RACKS - To encourage staff to leave their cars at home, bike racks, a locker room and showers offer an alternative commuting option.
SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEM - By harnessing the energy of the sun, the hot water provided to the Council Chambers area will reduce the use of electricity for hot water by approximately 34%.
ENHANCED BUILDING INSULATION - The building has been designed with full perimeter insulation and glazing well above code requirements allowing for efficient cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
RESTROOMS - Water use is reduced by approximately 43% through low-flow toilets, urinals, showerheads, and automatic sensor-controlled lavatory faucets. The automatic faucets use the flow of water to recharge their own batteries.
PHOTOVOLTAICS - Photovoltaic panels collect energy from the sun and convert it to electricity. This helps reduce the amount of energy the city has to purchase. The electricity produced from solar energy is renewable and does not result in carbon dioxide emissions. This helps reduce the effects of climate change.
SENSOR-CONTROLLED LIGHTS – To conserve energy, office, conference areas and other rooms are fitted with sensor-controlled lights that come on when someone enters and turn off after a few minutes when someone leaves.
For more information, contact Project Manager Jesus Sanchez at (206) 801-2421.