Former City Hall building now set for demolition

A piece of Huntsville city government history is set to be demolished, as the Huntsville City Council approved a contract for the demolition of the former City Hall building.

The City of Huntsville hired Britt Demolition and Recycling, Inc., for the demolition of the former City Hall located at 308 Fountain Circle.

The schedule for demolition of the old City Hall

The contract for Britt Demolition and Recycling, Inc. is a 240-day contract for $1,243,000.

The first 2-3 months of the demolition project will focus on environmental abatement inside the building. There will be no impact on the annual Tinsel Trail in Big Spring Park or any other holiday activities in the park.

The building will be dismantled by mechanical means and will not be imploded. The former City Hall opened in 1965 and closed earlier this year.

The contractor will leave the site ready for the future Big Spring Park East Expansion project.

“It’s been a good building. But its time has passed, I guess we’d have to say. It was a great building. I hate to leave it. It’s all the City Hall I’ve ever known.”

Mayor Tommy Battle

New City Hall

The new City Hall building opened in May, and is nearly twice the size of the former facility.

Here are a few quick facts about the new Huntsville City Hall building:

• The new building includes 175,000 square feet of administrative space to be occupied by about 370 employees.
• Next to the building is a seven-floor, 195,000-square-foot parking deck.
• The primary public entrance to the building near the intersection of Fountain Circle and Madison Street brings you onto the second floor, housing the HR Department and City Council chambers where most public meetings are conducted.
• The new building includes artwork by local artists commissioned to decorate the interior.
• Grouping interrelated departments will make it easier for residents and business owners to renew licenses, pay taxes, get building permits or conduct any other City-related business.
• The ground floor is occupied by the Fire Marshal and Inspection departments, as well as the Finance Departments
• A larger and more accessible City Council Chambers is located on the first floor.
• The sixth floor is occupied by City Council offices, but also includes public meeting space.
• The Office of the Mayor — as well as Communications and the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — is on the seventh floor.

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