Civic Center/City Hall

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Status: Completed August 2009

City Hall plaza

LEED® Gold

Built to high sustainability and green standards, City Hall was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.

Green Features

Solar Hot Water System
By harnessing the energy of the sun, the hot water provided to the Council Chambers area reduces the use of electricity for hot water.
Solar Shades
Solar shades on the west and south facades keep the building cooler on sunny days and conserve energy by relieving the burden on cooling systems.
Rain Gardens
Rainfall at the site is directed to rain gardens. These gardens have particular plants that remove pollutants from the rainwater before it flows to our streams and lakes.
Solid Waste and Recycling
Exterior garbage and recycling cans are solar powered compactors, and City Hall food scraps are recycled for compost. All furniture, concrete floors and carpets, as well as many building materials are made from locally available and recycled materials to relieve the burden on natural resources and to support the local economy.
Low Emitting Materials
To preserve indoor air quality for staff and visitors, all adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpet, and composite wood products used inside the building are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Green Roof
A 3,050-square-foot green roof of plantings atop the Council Chamber helps to insulate the structure, improving comfort for those inside and reducing energy use. The plantings also absorb rainwater, slowing down and diverting impacts to the municipal stormwater system.
Enhanced Building Materials
The building has been designed with full perimeter insulation and glazing well above code requirements allowing for efficient cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
Electric Car Charging Station
Pervious Concrete
Bike Racks
Low-Flow Toilets
Sensor-Activated Toilets and Faucets
Photovoltaics
Sensor-Controlled Lights

Project Financing and Building History

The City set aside money for construction of City Hall for more than a decade. In 2006, the City used saved cash to purchase the property on which City Hall is located.

In 2007, the City Council authorized a design-build, build-to-suit/lease-to-own delivery method to develop City Hall, and OPUS Northwest, L.L.C. was selected as the project developer.

The combination of the design-build, build-to-suit/lease-to-own method provided the City with a great deal of input in the design of the building while at the same time limiting the City’s exposure to cost overruns.

The process allowed the City to develop a strong team approach with OPUS and, with sound community input, create a set of Guiding Principles to provide direction for the project design and construction.

Through careful planning and prudent fiscal policies, the City saved enough money to not only purchase the City Hall property, but to also put an additional $10 million toward the project costs, limiting the City’s debt. The total project cost was approximately $33 million with $22 million of that to be paid with a combination of tax-exempt general obligation bonds and Build America Bonds (BABs).

The BABs are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and provide a 35% subsidy on interest payments from the federal government. By using a combination of bonds, the City will be able to realize a debt service savings of over $3.8 million. Shoreline also obtained a combined interest rate of 3.939% due to its strong Standard and Poor’s AA+ rating.

No new taxes were required to pay for the building. The City will use a combination of general fund monies, previously used to pay rent on the old city hall facilities, and a portion of the Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET) to make the annual debt service payments on the bonds.

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