Project Background: How Did We Get Here?

In early 2023, the City of Mercer Island began working on Facilities Conditions Assessments to guide future investment decisions for City facilities and the development of a Long-Range Facilities Plan. These assessments include Mercer Island City Hall, the Public Works Building, the Mercer Island Community and Event Center Annex Building, the Luther Burbank Administrative Building, the Mercer Island Thrift Shop building, and the former Tully’s Building. The assessments were to be used to prioritize a comprehensive plan to maintain, repair or replace these buildings to ensure City facilities can deliver municipal programs and services for the next 50 years.

In April 2023, and in the midst of beginning the Facilities Conditions Assessments, an asbestos contamination was discovered in the City Hall/Police Station facility. Staff was immediately relocated from the building while several months of testing took place in the building. Testing resulted in asbestos detection in several locations in the building, including in the HVAC system. No airborne asbestos was detected during air quality tests.

City staff and outside experts worked extensively to identify solutions to address the asbestos contamination and evaluate the best path forward for City Hall. Two scenarios for re-occupying the City Hall building, either fully or partially, were evaluated for timeline, preliminary costs, and impact to City operations. Unfortunately, the cost of both scenarios to re-occupy City Hall exceeded the benefits due to the age and condition of the building and the City Manager was directed to permanently close City Hall. Please find more information about the asbestos discovery and closure of City Hall here.

Due to the emergency closure of City Hall, FCA work was reprioritized to meet the most pressing needs. Given the age and condition of the Public Works Building, the City Manager directed staff and consultants to complete a FCA for this building, while pausing assessment work on the other buildings.

The assessment identified multiple systems that are failing or in need of significant repair or investment. This information was presented to the City Council on February 6, 2024 (AB 6402).

Combined with the City’s urgent space needs for teams displaced by the City Hall closure, the City Manager recommended that the Council prioritize the Public Works Building for replacement, and to address the critical need for permanent police facilities. Council’s direction allowed the City Manager to proceed with building this new facility on the existing campus. Preliminary programming and designed work commenced immediately with Northwest Studio, the architectural firm already on board for long-range facility planning.