Thursday, April 12, 2018

City of Pullman purchases church, will become city hall and rec center


Pullman purchases new city hall

Officials say they have been leasing space in the facility while they approach the construction phase

By Scott Jackson
Moscow Pullman Daily News staff writer April 12, 2018


This rendering from Design West Architects shows how the sanctuary of the Encounter Ministries building could be remodeled into the City Council chambers if the building is purchased to serve as Pullman City Hall.


Pullman has finalized its $3.5 million purchase of the Encounter Ministries campus, which city officials plan to convert into a new city hall and recreation center, Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson said.

Voters approved a proposition in February that permits the city to issue $10.5 million in general obligation bonds to finance the project. Johnson said the city plans to begin offering the bonds for sale in the early summer. He said the remaining $7 million will be used to remodel the two buildings into a space more suitable to house city operations.

"We've engaged with Design West; they're going to help with all of our design and getting us through the construction side," City Supervisor Adam Lincoln said.

Lincoln said Design West Architects, which has offices in downtown Pullman, has been assisting with a community outreach strategy to gather input from residents on what features they would like to be included in the project. He said the city should begin to accrue feedback and consider what can fit in the budget near the end of the month.

Lincoln said the city is leasing the space back to Encounter Ministries for its Sunday services while the group prepares to renovate and move into its new headquarters - the YCC building on Grand Avenue. Lincoln said the city is also leasing space in the recreation building to another Christian organization as well as a local cheer squad. He said the groups are only using the space on a short-term basis and will likely be out of the building by the time construction begins.

"We figured the planning phase is going to be eight or nine months and then (another) eight or nine months of construction," Lincoln said.

The project is scheduled to be completed by October 2019.

When planning the initial cost estimate, Lincoln said the city created a "smart" budget that allows room for relocation expenses as well as unexpected costs and embellishments. Lincoln said he doesn't foresee many problems moving forward.

"The church building in particular, it's something that's pretty easily remodeled," Lincoln said. "It's a giant rectangular building, so moving walls a little bit and making some adjustments shouldn't be a major concern."

Lincoln said all departments currently housed in the old City Hall building, which includes city administrative offices as well as public works and planning, will transfer into the new facility once it is complete. Additionally, he said parks and recreation administrators will move from their offices in Pioneer Center to spaces in the new gym building. While Pioneer Center has the potential to be reclaimed by the school district for office space, there is little word on the fate of what is to become of the old City Hall. Lincoln said the City Council has not made a decision yet, but speculated the city would likely explore options to sell the property.