The city of Liberty Lake is preparing to renovate an existing city-owned property, at 23129 E. Mission, for a new city hall building and council chambers.

The updated property is expected to nearly double the square footage of the city's existing 7,500-square-foot facility, at 22710 E. Country Vista Drive, says Ben Turner, public works director for the city of Liberty Lake. 

As planned, renovations will include new offices for city officials and employees, he says. Council chambers in the new space will also double in size.

Dardan Enterprises Inc., of Post Falls, is the contractor, Turner says. Tacoma, Washington-based BCRA Inc. is designing the space, and Atlanta-based CBRE Heery Inc., which does business in Spokane as Turner & Townsend Heery LLC, is providing engineering services.

Construction is anticipated to begin in April and finish early next year.

The 1-acre property, including an existing 14,000-square-foot building, was purchased by the city of Liberty Lake from the Lombardi Family Trust for $2.2 million in 2022, according to tax information on file with Spokane County.

The new city hall will have the capacity for about 40 employees, compared to 25 people at it's existing location.

“It allows us to grow as the city grows in the next 10 to 15 years,” Turner says of the new space. “We’re bursting at the seams right now.”

The renovation is valued at $3.1 million, according to preliminary permit information on file with the city of Liberty Lake. The price for the renovation won't exceed $3.6 million, according to project information on the city's website.

Funding for the project will come from the city’s general fund and be drawn from excise taxes, Turner says.

The new property is located about a half mile northeast of the city’s current city hall, which will remain occupied by the city’s parks and recreation department, Turner adds.

Liberty Lake officials originally planned to renovate the building into a library, but it was found to be too small last year, he says.

Legacy Church WA, of Liberty Lake, currently leases the building and is in the process of finding another space to move into, says Amy Mullerleile, interim community development director for the city of Liberty Lake. Representatives of the church didn’t respond to the Journal's requests for comment.