Baker Avenue offices to serve as temporary City Hall

The city of Whitefish offices will have a temporary home while the new City Hall building is being constructed downtown.

The city will relocate to the Stampede Square office building on Baker Avenue for up to two years. City Council on July 20 approved a one year lease for the offices at a cost of $102,000.

“There is more than adequate office and storage space for an interim City Hall,” City Manager Chuck Stearns said. “Most staff will likely have a larger office or work area than they currently have.”

The building will house city offices on the first and second floors and basement storage.

Plans are for the city to move into the new location sometime in August. Work on the new City Hall building is expected to begin in September.

The city offices will need to relocate while construction of the City Hall and parking structure are taking place at the corner of Baker Avenue and Second Street. The combined cost for the two buildings is $14.95 million.

The one unknown is whether the Stampede building will be able to accommodate as large of audiences as the current City Council chambers. However, the meetings can be moved to the Emergency Services Center if needed.

Stearns said the building will work as a link in the city’s microwave communications system between downtown and the Emergency Services Center.

The city previously housed its planning and building department in Stampede Square from 2005 to 2010.