Amidst a pile of cinderblock, City Engineer Barry Mott gave an update two months into the renovation at Enterprise City Hall, saying the contractor is almost complete with demolition of phase one.

Built in 1968, Mott said the original structure was mostly unedited until work began mid-October on the iconic building. At the time, the new city hall was considered an investment, costing approximately $1 million to build. 55 years later, that’s the equivalent of more than $8.8 million.  Mott said updates are needed throughout; the electrical and HVAC systems are outdated and the roof needs to be replaced. The renovation is budgeted for $7.8 million. 

“It’s time to update and renovate this facility for the Enterprise community,” Mayor William E. Cooper said. “We want to make city hall a place that citizens can come to conduct business efficiently. In order to do that, we need to reconfigure the space, move some departments around, and make necessary updates. Our goal is to create a better overall experience and modernize the building so it can serve Enterprise for years to come.”

When construction was first completed in November 1968, the City of Enterprise celebrated the opening of the “City Government and Utilities Building” which housed the mayor’s office, council chambers, city clerk’s office, engineer’s office, police and fire departments, reception and conference rooms.  Public utilities and the Chamber of Commerce also had office space. Now the city government has outgrown the building, with several of those entities relocating to other locations.  The current design also doesn’t fit the demands of the city’s growing population and needs.

Following the request from Mayor and Enterprise City Council, Mott started the process to update the building.  At the Jan. 17 Council meeting Seay, Seay & Litchfield (SS&L) Architect Raleigh Price presented renderings of what the new city hall would look like, including upgraded access points for citizen interaction with city staff. Price said the design includes very clear public signage that lets visitors know when they walk in the building, where to go for assistance. 

“One of the major modifications to city hall is repurposing the areas we have,” Mott said. “After the renovations are complete, the public can go from window to window to take care of all the needs they have and all the services we provide.”

The current Council chambers will be modernized and utilized only for court.  A security checkpoint will be added to create secure spaces for the Judge, Magistrate and Clerk.  As with many design updates, the room will be reconfigured to capitalize on the natural light, as part of the energy efficiency initiative. 

The Enterprise Police Department including dispatch will move to the basement with a separate entrance. The administrative functions of the Department will remain on the main floor for easy public access.  The city’s Engineering Department will move upstairs next to the water and revenue departments.

Price noted that not all improvements in the SS&L design will be visible.

“This building has got a lot of ‘Frankenstein’ components as we call it, between the electrical, HVAC and roof itself,” Price said. “The investment will go a long way, securing this building for many decades to come.”

“We have spent a lot of time with the design engineers to make the building more energy conservative,” Mott added.  “All the lighting systems in the building will be upgraded, and everything will be LED lighting. All the heating and cooling systems for the building will be upgraded and will be more efficient.”

Construction is expected to last one year.  While some city employees will continue to work in the building during construction, others have relocated.

The Enterprise Police Department administrative staff are operating out of the administrative building at Enterprise State Community College, while Records and Patrol remain at city hall. Human Resources relocated to the Business Incubator off Commerce Drive.  Tourism, Special Projects and Main Street offices moved to the third floor of The Rawls on Main Street.  The Engineering Department is operating out of the Enterprise Farmers Market.

“We understand this may be a slight inconvenience to our citizens and our employees, but it’s just temporary as we work to modernize city hall,” Cooper said. “We ask for your patience as we work to create a space that is not only cost efficient, but also better serves our citizens.”

Mott said he’s proud of the project and the impact it will have on the community.

“It’s extremely exciting. The vision of the council and Mayor was to upgrade city hall. The goal is to provide our citizens a better overall experience,” Mott said.