If all goes as planned, Durango’s new city hall and police station could be finished by October 2028, according to Artaic Group, a management firm guiding the city through the project.
Artaic Group Senior Project Manager John Usery told City Council last month that schematic designs – about 30% complete – are underway and should be presented in February or March, along with initial cost estimates.
Voters approved a $61 million bond measure in April to fund the renovation and construction of a joint city hall and police station at the historic former high school at 201 E. 12th. St. The city has outgrown its space inside the current City Hall and police station, which are located at East Second Avenue and 10th Street.
The targeted end date of October 2028 accounts for the completion of the city hall, the police department as well as additional renovations and additions such as an underground parking structure.
The city hall is scheduled to be completed first, with a ribbon-cutting scheduled for October 2027. DPD’s new station is expected to be completed in July 2028, with all other project aspects planned to be completed that fall.
“With projects of this scale, there’s always something that comes up and modifies the completion date,” said City Manager José Madrigal.
Although the timeline is rough and intended to be flexible, Usery said “time is money” and the goal to be as efficient with taxpayers’ dollars as possible.
“It is our goal to bring this within budget and within schedule,” he said. “If there are hiccups, it’s our responsibility to identify those early on where we can respond to those as opposed to later where we would experience a more impactful schedule delay.”
In October, the city announced it received a AA+ rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings, allowing the city to borrow money at lower interest rates to finance construction of the new joint facility.
“That’s not something we always see on these projects from municipalities,” Usery said. “That opens up a lot of doors for us in terms of increasing the amount of bond proceeds that we receive as well as lowering interest rates and stretching those taxpayer dollars further, getting our bang for our buck.”
Engineering company HDR and FCI Constructors were awarded the roles of project architect and construction manager at risk, respectively, after a national search for candidates. Both companies operate locally.
“These projects are financed by taxpayer dollars. It’s really important that we reinvest that money through this project back into the community as much as possible,” Usery said.
HDR has recently worked on early construction at Durango Mesa Park and FCI recently completed construction of Durango Fire Protection District’s downtown Station No. 2, he said.
HDR is working closely with Denver-based Roth Sheppard Architects. Usery said the team has experience with historical renovations and police building projects such as:
- The historical renovation of the Wyoming State Capitol.
- Work on the city of Firestone’s police department and municipal court.
- Work on the city of Lenexa, Kansas’, justice center.
- Work on the historical Gunnison County Courthouse.
FCI’s experience includes:
- The Ouray County Courthouse and Sheriff’s Office.
- The Northglenn City Hall.
- The Carbon County Courthouse.
- The city of Evans police station.
cburney@durangoherald.com
