City council hears plan to overhaul nearly 50-year-old municipal building; no votes taken

Director Vicky Nemechek, Public Works, told the city council during a Jan. 30, 2026 work session that the municipal building — built nearly 50 years ago — needs a major renovation to address failing systems and accessibility problems. "We've basically just put lipstick on the pig," she said, summarizing deferred maintenance that has accumulated since the building was constructed.

Nemechek outlined several operational failures driving the project. She said HVAC system imbalances leave some offices near 80 degrees while adjacent rooms are about 59 degrees, and that one elevator has been out of service "for nearly a month," with parts no longer manufactured: "They don't make the parts we need anymore." She also recounted a power outage last year that could not be fully remedied because the building lacked sufficient switchgear and electrical capacity, and said recent designs for new restrooms showed the building cannot support hand dryers given the current electrical load.

The director said plumbing connectors and rubber couplers are failing in hard-to-reach locations and noted gaps in fire alarm interconnection that reduce audibility once interior walls are in place. She also flagged ADA shortfalls: ramps and dais access do not meet current standards and elevators are not sized to accept a stretcher.

Design teams from Plan 1 Architects, Vicenza Architecture and Ascenza introduced an initial vision and project timeline. Britt Morgan, vice president of Plan 1 Architects and lead project architect for the office in Cheyenne, said the team validated a spatial analysis completed about a year ago, surveyed employees and met with department heads to confirm adjacencies and public-facing functions.

The designers said a conceptual cost estimate that includes soft costs is expected in February; "we will be doing a conceptual estimate in February," they said. They described a milestone for schematic design in March and discussed a two-track schedule that ties the municipal renovation to construction of a new council building. The team identified March 2027 as a scheduling milestone in their presentation and said the council building — a smaller project — is expected to proceed faster so chambers can move before heavier work on the municipal building begins.

Council members pressed the design team on procurement timing and sequencing. One council member asked why the city would bring a CMAR (construction manager at risk) on the municipal building a month before the council building; the architects said CMARs are typically engaged around schematic design to inform cost estimates. An architect clarified an earlier timing note, saying "it should be the February 25 when we go out for CMAR for both." Council members also asked whether one CMAR team would handle both projects; designers said that was their initial plan but staffing details remain to be determined.

On site and program layout, designers proposed a new north-facing entry vestibule, a secure-but-inviting public zone for HR and the city clerk, and additional first-floor meeting rooms to reduce public travel between floors. They emphasized maximizing natural daylight and refining window locations after schematic work. The plan would relocate some departments to improve adjacencies (for example, placing the mayor's office centrally between the treasurer and city attorney) and move some meeting spaces to the first floor for easier public access. Designers said IT placement is flexible given an electrical redesign; after recent meetings with IT staff they are refining exact needs and locations.

No votes were taken at the work session. The next procedural steps the design team identified were a conceptual cost estimate in February, completion of schematic design in March (with the March 2027 milestone referenced during the presentation), and issuance of a CMAR solicitation around Feb. 25 for both buildings. Designers warned that final construction timing depends on approvals, permitting and bidding.

The presentation and council discussion provided an initial program, schedule and procurement timeline but did not settle final scope, budget or staffing for construction; designers said they will return with refined schematic drawings and the conceptual estimate for further council review.