The City of Berkeley is building a new $16 million Municipal Complex, which will include a new City Hall and fire station, along with the renovation and expansion of the existing police station.
The new City Hall is a two-story, 29,500-square-foot building and the new fire station will be a 17,200-square-foot building.
Kwame Building Group, a St. Louis-based minority business enterprise, is the construction manager overseeing the design for the new addition to the city; 75 percent of the firm’s workforce is made up of minority and female professionals.
Archimages of St. Louis is the architect of the two new buildings and the expansion of the police station.
For the construction of this project, a goal of 25 percent of business coming from diverse businesses, which includes both minority business enterprises (MBE) and women business enterprises (WBE), was set. The plan is for at least 5 percent to come from WBE and 20 percent from MBE.
“We come from a diverse world, and all of those entities need to be represented,” Berkeley Mayor Kyra Watson said.
“Also we have struggling, disadvantaged businesses in our area so it helps them become productive citizens.”
Currently, the City is deciding what other businesses will be used in the construction of the project in order to meet the set diversity goals and the 5 percent goal for local business enterprises. All construction partner businesses will be decided by the middle of September, according to the building commissioner for the City of Berkeley.
“The last City Hall was built in 1972. The building was not energy-efficient. We’re spending a lot of money on utility bills,” Mayor Watson said.
“We’re also hoping this City Hall and fire station will spur economic growth along our airport and in our town quarters.”
In addition to economic benefit, the new building also will provide a visual and symbolic upgrade for the City of Berkeley.
“The municipal complex will establish a new vision for the City’s architectural image,” said Zachary Hamilton, vice president of KWAME.
On Monday, August 9, the City held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Municipal Complex adjacent to Jackson Park. Mayor Watson hosted the ceremony with several council members, political officeholders and Berkeley citizens present.
County Executive Charlie A. Dooley gave the keynote address at the ceremony and explained the importance of Berkeley for St. Louis County and why it is important to have this new Municipal Complex built.
“Berkeley is a midsize city. That means you get to make your own destiny,” Dooley.
“It’s a new start in a different direction to make a difference in people’s lives. Somebody is doing something right in the City of Berkeley.”
St. Louis County government was instrumental in the 2009 NorthPark project built partly in Berkeley, a 550-acre urban redevelopment plan of airport buyout land that included office, retail and industrial space.
