City Hall building is coming down—here’s the latest

As progress continues on Huntsville’s new City Hall, the City Council approved a contract this week for the demolition of the current building.

The council approved a resolution allowing Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into an architectural agreement with Fuqua & Partners Architects related to the demolition.

Huntsville City Hall demolition

The contract with Fuqua & Partners does not include physical demolition, but instead the creation of a road map guiding the process, from utility disconnections and relocation to a final site plan.

The City will put the demolition out for bid next year. When the building has been removed, the property will become part of Big Spring Park East.

Ricky Wilkinson, director of General Services, said the old City Hall would be taken down in phases instead of a large implosion. He estimated work would begin in early 2025 and take several months to complete.

The building has been in use since the mid-60s and city officials have said they are still unsure as to how much of the building can be repurposed.

Wilkinson said structural steel can be recycled, while other items like security cameras can be removed and used elsewhere. He said the city’s maintenance teams would conduct a thorough inspection and save salvageable items before demolition begins.

“The old Administrative Building has served Huntsville well over the last five-plus decades, but our new home will greatly improve efficiency for all by putting more departments under one roof. It’s a beautiful building, and more importantly, it was designed with future growth in mind. We can’t wait to share with our citizens.”

Mayor Tommy Battle

New City Hall

The new City Hall project hit a construction milestone this week with the removal of the large tower crane, a downtown skyline fixture for over a year. Wilkinson estimated the new building is about 80 percent complete.

Elevator installation begins in early November, followed by the first test of the building’s heating and air systems in December. Crews continue to frame walls and ceilings before moving on to finishing touches like paint, carpet, tile and wood trim.

The first furniture deliveries will arrive in February and departments will move in by phases, beginning in April. All departments should be in the building by early June.

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