The city of Coeur dAlene is in the process of hiring an architect to design a $1 million expansion and renovation of its City Hall.


The project will add about 20 percent more space to the 20,800-square-foot building, which is located at 710 Mullan Ave., says Janet Flerchinger, whos managing the project for the citys growth services department.


Plans call for interior renovation of City Hall and the construction of a two-story addition over the buildings side parking lot, which was used by the Coeur dAlene police department until that department moved to new quarters at 3818 Schreiber Way last summer. The project also includes upgrading the buildings telecommunications wiring and plumbing and mechanical systems, Flerchinger says.


The additional space will make it possible to create a permit center by bringing the citys planning, engineering, and building departments together in one area on City Halls ground floor, where the police department used to be located, she says. Having those construction related departments located in one place, instead of spread throughout City Hall, should speed up the citys permit processing, she says.


The expansion also will allow the city to consolidate its legal department under one roof, Flerchinger says. Right now, the legal departments civil division is located at City Hall, while its criminal division is located at 1000 W. Hubbard.


The city has issued a request for proposals for architects and engineers to design the renovation and expansion project, and has budgeted $190,000 this year for that purpose and for miscellaneous upgrades to the building, she says. Architects proposals are due by Feb. 25, and the city anticipates that construction will begin around Oct. 1 and take two years to complete.


Says Flerchinger, This is an old buildingabout 20 years old. Were running out of space.