Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Palmdale Hires Architect for New $25-Million City Hall

The city of Palmdale is taking steps toward building a $25-million city hall in a process expected to occur in piecemeal fashion as money becomes available.

The City Council unanimously approved Thursday a $115,000 contract with Pasadena-based Ewing Architects Inc. for design services in its quest for the new city hall.

City officials hope to begin building the first phase of the city hall by the end of next year, using funds provided by the builders of the 5,200-home City Ranch and 7,200-unit Ritter Ranch developments. As part of the approval of the projects, Palmdale required Kaufman & Broad and Ritter Park Associates to contribute a combined $6.9 million toward the new building.

A master plan for a downtown civic center, adopted by the council two years ago, calls for a city hall with 125,000 square feet of space, large enough to accommodate Palmdale’s needs through the year 2010.

With the developers’ funds, the city expects to be able to build about one-third--or 40,000 square feet--of the facility.

The first phase of the building, planned for construction on city-owned land bounded by avenues Q-9 and Q-10 and Eighth and Ninth streets east, would include council chambers and administrative offices. It would also house city departments involved in development.

Palmdale’s departments are located in 10 buildings in a four-block downtown area. Through the civic center master plan, Palmdale’s city hall complex would remain spread over a couple of blocks, but different departments would be grouped closer and in a logical manner.

While waiting for its new meeting place, council members also agreed Thursday to spend $10,000 for an audio system that includes 10 voice-activated desk microphones for their chambers.

Coincidentally, when the council meeting started Thursday, the microphone at the podium where the public speaks would not work--a victim of age, according to city maintenance staff.