CARBONDALE DEDICATES NEW
CITY HALL
& CIVIC CENTER
A view of the City Hall/Civic Center
from the municipal parking area
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October 22, 1996, was a proud day for Carbondale
residents as the City dedicated its new City Hall and
Civic Center. Over 600 citizens attended the dedication and celebration for the new complex.
"This facility is an integral part of the planned redevelopment of Downtown Carbondale," said Mayor
Neil Dillard, First Vice President of the Illinois
Municipal League. "In all past planning, one of the
key elements was to locate the government center in
the downtown. We are now in position to solicit further development and redevelopment in the downtown area," he said.
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After 22 years of temporary quarters in a former
dormitory complex, City Hall is now located at 200
South Illinois Avenue. Seventy employees have relocated into the new City Hall. Offices in the new facility include the Mayor and City Council, City Manager,
City Clerk, City Attorney, Finance Department, Accounting, Data Processing, Purchasing and Administration, Human Resources, Development Services,
Public Works Administration and Engineering, Fire
Chief and Emergency Management Services, Civic
Center Events Coordinator and the Jackson County
Circuit Courtroom Annex including Judge's office
and Circuit Clerk office. The Carbondale Police Department will remain at 609 East College Street.
Architectural planning of the City Hall/Civic
Center complex began in 1991 with the preparation of
a facility program and master plan. Ground breaking
ceremonies in April 1995 marked the completion of
that phase and began the construction phase.
The building exterior was designed to fit into the
urban context of the town square. The proportions,
scale and materials found in the two-and three-story
buildings around the town square provided the architectural design standards which were incorporated
into the final design.
Details of the new building's exterior are inspired
by many of the buildings in the downtown. Red brick
with contrasting stone trim similar to many downtown
buildings was used for the walls of the new complex.
Traditional shapes and spacings were used for the new
building's windows. Colors which contrast with the
building walls were used to enrich the building's appearance and to relate to the architectural detailing of
the older, neighboring buildings.
Construction on the 51,000 square foot building
began in April 1995 and was completed, ahead of
schedule, in September 1996.
The new City Hall/Civic Center is being financed
through a $7.1 million bond issue that covers the costs
of design, land acquisition, construction, furnishings
and bond costs. The annual debt service will be paid
from general revenues of the City and from revenues
generated by the property tax levy currently used to
pay the debt service for the new Carbondale Public
Library building, which will be retired in 1997.
The Civic Center comprises almost 20,000 square
feet of the complex. It is a multifunctional facility that
will accommodate public meetings, banquets, receptions, dances, conferences, trade shows and other
types of gatherings. It can seat up to 700 persons and
serve 525 for banquets through the commercial grade
catering kitchen.
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The new Carbondale City Hall/Civic Center complex
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Parking for the complex is provided through 140
spaces on site and over 700 public spaces within two
blocks of the facility.
"The City Hall/Civic Center provides an anchor
for Downtown redevelopment, a source of community
pride and a landmark building in our community,"
said City Manager Jeff Doherty. "It will serve
Carbondale well into the 21st Century." •
November 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 9
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