Square design selected for City Hall

The design of Whitefish’s new City Hall and parking structure was largely determined during a series of votes last week by City Council.

Council approved a squared-off corner of the building at Baker Avenue and Second Street in a 4-2 vote. Councilors John Anderson and Jen Frandsen voted against.

The two design options came down to selecting between a square building at the entry corner or a chamfered corner, which has a 45-degree angle. Both featured a brick building with curved archways reminiscent of the historic City Hall, along with large windows and awnings over the sidewalks.

“I don’t think of chamfered entries for a historic building in Whitefish,” councilor Andy Fuery said. “It’s a matter of taste for the most part because both designs are functional.”

“Times change,” Anderson countered. “There are a lot of tall buildings at that corner. We need to open that corner up as much as we can.”

Council unanimously decided against constructing a third floor for the building, but rather to engineer the building so that a third floor can be constructed at a later date. The designs for a third floor had called for housing a community room and an overlook into the council chambers. Construction of the third floor would have added about $950,000 to the project.

Mayor John Muhlfeld weighed in before council’s vote saying he believes the cost isn’t worth the third floor.

“I think saving that money for future years when we have the opportunity to support some type of economic activity in our town is very important,” he said. “I think it’s more important than a community room on the third floor.”

Council approved constructing a half basement in a 4-2 vote, with Pam Barberis and Frandsen in opposition.

The full basement was estimated to cost about $300,000 more.

Muhlfeld said constructing the full basement doesn’t make sense.

“I don’t think that is fiscally prudent,” he said. “We need to bring the cost down.”

Council approved 4-2 a curved inside wall for the lobby area on the first floor. Anderson and Frandsen voted against.

“The curved wall provides a nice look down the hall rather than just a straight shot,” Barberis said.

“The curved wall makes it more welcoming,” Hildner said. “The curved wall gives us better wayfinding.”

Council approved the staircase inside the building to be wrapped around the elevator rather than a stand-alone staircase inside the lobby. The vote was 4-2 with Barberis and Hildner against.

“I prefer the wrapped staircase because there are smaller flights of stairs that make it more accessible to get to the next level,” Frandsen said. “It will give additional space in the lobby for seating.”

City Manager Chuck Stearns urged council to select the wrapped staircase that would ensure a clear line of sight between the information desk and the water utility desk.

“Over 50 percent of the people who walk into City Hall are needing to deal with either paying their water bill or getting information about their water bill,” he said. “Payments are taken care of at the information desk, but utility handles questions about the bills. There is a whole lot of back and forth between the two.”

Muhlfeld broke a tie vote to approve constructing two elevators inside the parking structure. The additional elevator is expected to add roughly $125,000 to the project cost. About 230 parking spaces are planned for the structure.

The design called for constructing an elevator at the northeast corner along with a stairway and public restroom. In the southwest corner, plans called only for a stairway, but council wanted to add an elevator.

“I find the extra elevator as an unnecessary expense,” councilor Frank Sweeney said. “I don’t think given the size of the parking structure you wouldn’t expect to have a second elevator.”

“As a mom who has had to tote kids around and having to limp around in a knee brace, I can imagine those who need an elevator don’t deem it as a luxury,” Frandsen said. “When we are providing so much parking to force people out on the north end of the garage to use that elevator is just an inconvenience.”

A two-story City Hall with a half-floor basement and the parking structure is estimated at about $12 million. The parking structure makes up about half the total cost.

Including retail space at the corner of East First Street and Baker Avenue as part of the parking structure would tack on another $687,000.