In the foyer of Virginia Beach’s new City Hall building, sunlight cascades down the stairwell from the windows of a cupola above. It illuminates the floor that is inlaid with the city seal.
“Take a moment and go ‘Ah,'” said Tom Nicholas, facility engineer for Public Works, as he led a tour Friday morning at the city’s Municipal Center campus.
A wow factor emanates from the $50 million, three-story building between the old City Hall and Building 2 on Courthouse Drive.
Designed by Moseley Architects in the same Georgian Colonial-style of the other Municipal Center buildings, it features four columns in front, arch-shaped windows and the copper-domed cupola on top.
It took nearly three years to build. Originally scheduled to open last summer, the project faced pandemic-related supply chain delays but was completed on budget.
The plant that manufactured the exterior brick closed for a while, and some of the technology supplies are still on the way. City Council meetings will continue to be held in the old building until June, Nicholas said.
On Friday, employees in the Commissioner of the Revenue and City Treasurer’s offices began moving in. More departments will be relocating in phases through the end of the month. The new City Hall opens to the public at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said City Clerk Amanda Barnes, who was standing in the foyer Friday morning. “This building is unbelievable.”
In 2017, the City Council decided to construct the new City Hall instead of renovating its 53-year-old building, which would have required asbestos removal and other intensive work.
McKenzie Construction broke ground two months after a mass shooting in Building 2, where a city engineer shot and killed 12 people. Safety measures already were worked into the design, but providing a secure environment, while keeping doors open to the public, became even more of a priority, said Nicholas.
More than 300 people will work in the City Hall building, and residents will pay tax bills and attend council meetings there. Bullet proof panels and surveillance cameras are in place.
“There are security officers in the building that are capable of responding in real time,” Nicholas said.
Barnes said it feels more secure.
“I appreciate the thought that has gone into this building to keep everyone safe,” she said.
Modern amenities in what Mayor Bobby Dyer has called “the people’s house” are around every corner. The City Council Chambers is twice as big. It’s wide and airy with sand-colored walls and 300 blue vinyl seats. Each has an electrical outlet. An overflow area in the back of the room can hold another 50 people, and there are several conference rooms where live meetings are streamed.
For the first time, the City Council members will have offices and common areas where they can meet with constituents.
“We’ve created a lot more capacity for the public to interact,” Nicholas said.
Some of the windows on the west side overlook Building 2, which is being renovated.
It will house a police precinct and administrative offices. Public utilities and planning department employees who used to work in Building 2 will move into the old City Hall, slated to be renovated in July.
“This is a new start,” Nicholas said. “It is the beginning of the recovery of the facilities that were just devastated by what happened.”
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
