By Mike Kinney
If the weather stays as nice as it has recently, the brand new San Pablo City Hall should open in April, said Charles Ching, the community and economic development director for the city.
The Standard recently checked in on the construction site at 1000 Gateway Ave. and to grab a few photos. The $18 million City Hall project will replace the current, aging City Hall at San Pablo Avenue and Church Lane, which is about a quarter-mile away. The two-story, 42,000 square foot project is located on 2.8 acres.
San Pablo City Council wanted the new building to keep the identity of the old Spanish colonial mission-style influence of the existing City Hall. The concrete tilt-up structure with interior metal framed office spaces will be LEED-silver certified and include a commercial kitchen, council chambers, community rooms, and 11 electric vehicle charging stations, according to the city and Overaa Construction.
At the existing City Hall, according to Ching, city government operates from five different buildings that date back to the 1950s. They were originally located at 18th Street and Market Avenue before moving in 1979 to their current location at San Pablo Avenue and Church Lane.
The new City Hall on Gateway Avenue will accommodate roughly 50 to 60 employees, and a new Maple Hall serving as a multipurpose room will be located within the building.
Colby Powell, vice president of Richmond-based Overaa Construction, expressed pride over his team’s work and lauded the “warm atmosphere” of the new building, such as the cherry veneer wood used in the lobby and City Council chambers and the custom millwork up the staircase.
Powell credited a team of people for leading the thus-far successful project, including Superintendent Bud Malpass, Foreman Jose Perez, Project Manager Ryan Marshall, Project Engineer Ryan Dugan, Team Coordinator Veronica Martinez, Project Controller Lee Sinclair and RMW Architects.
Overaa teamed with RMW Architecture & Interiors, Buehler & Buehler Structural Engineers, Glumac, BKF Engineers, and RHAA Landscape Architecture + Planning on the project.
