New City Hall may help boost downtown Chandler

CHANDLER — Local businesses and residents are welcoming Chandler’s future City Hall building as a way to rejuvenate the downtown area, but many are concerned about parking and construction problems.

The estimated cost of the Chandler City Hall building is $75 million for the 120,000-square-foot complex located between Arizona Avenue and Washington Street at Chicago Street. The development will continue despite the current economic downturn.

“Downtown Chandler is starting to walk their talk,” Images at San Marcos Salon and Day Spa co-owner Pete Pastore says. “It should help everyone.”

Downtown Chandler is a unique area because it contains a majority of small businesses and no chains. It has been easy for people to over look the downtown area because it is not appealing to the eye and not well known, Chandler resident Brian Jutting says.

“I would be more attracted to it if I heard these renovations happened,” Jutting says. “I wouldn’t have to drive very far, and it would be worth it.”

Construction of the complex is set for early next year because many of its departments are in leased space, and the leases do not expire until December 2010. It will cover nearly two city blocks, including a five-story stone and glass building, the Chandler Museum, chambers and two parking garages.

Chandler has leased office space since the early 1980s, and with an estimated population of 251,060, city leaders view a new City Hall building as essential for redeveloping downtown Chandler.

The facility will give citizens better access to many of the city’s major departments and divisions including: Mayor and Council, City Manager, City Clerk, City Attorney, Community Services, Economic Development, Human Resources, Communications and Public Affairs, Neighborhood Resources and Management Services.

Chandler City Hall building is also going “green,” intending to achieve a gold certification level within the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, a program encouraging the design of environmentally-friendly buildings.

The Downtown Chandler Community Partnership (DCCP), a nonprofit group whose mission is to promote and develop the downtown area, is doing everything it can to make downtown Chandler as successful as possible, says Kelly Wandelear, the group’s vice president of district relations and co-owner of Mind Over Splatter.

“The city sees the importance of a healthy downtown, and the City Hall building will play a major role in making downtown a destination,” Wandelear says.

The DCCP also holds events such as the Downtown Chandler Art Walk and Farmer’s Market to bring people to the area.

One of the concerns about the new building for merchants and residents is construction. Parking could become a problem because people will not know where to park due to the construction, Pastore says.

Wandelear says she was more concerned with the work underground and how it will affect the merchant’s utilities.

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>>Email the reporter at aklaw@zoniereport.com.