Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 12/7/2020City of Glendale 5850 West Glendale Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 Glendale A R I Z O N A Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 7, 2020 10:30 A.M. Special Workshop Meeting League of Arizona Cities and Towns City Council Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ray Malnar Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner CALL TO ORDER Mayor Weiers called the meeting to order at 10:39 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ray Malnar Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Also Present: Kevin Phelps, City Manager Julie K. Bower, City Clerk Vicki Rios, Assistant City Manager Jack Friedline, Assistant City Manager Councilmember Turner attended the meeting telephonically. WORKSHOP SESSION 1. BUILDING REJUVENATION DISCUSSION Presented by: Michelle Woytenko, Director, Field Operations Ms. Bower read the item by title. Ms. Woytenko said staff had asked Council to tour the remodeled Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor because the same concept could be used for City Hall. Terminal 3 had been built during the same time period as Town Hall. Ms. Woytenko introduced Chris Ledwith, Principal/Project Manager and John Tran, Vice President, SmithGroup. She said the SmithGroup had overseen the remodel of Terminal 3. Mr. Tran reviewed the work completed on Terminal 3. The mission was to make it a gateway to the City of Phoenix that was warm and inviting with clarity in circulation, and signage. Ms. Woytenko said City Hall did not currently provide superior service. Staff wanted to remodel it correctly and plan for the future. The focus would be on intended strategic results. The City would make improvements to assets such as the elevators, HVAC, electrical and exterior. Ms. Woytenko said the building was constructed in 1984 in a style called "Brutalism" and was intended to look like a bunker. The overhangs were intended to block the sunlight. The City now had the ability to use technology to open up the building, update the exterior and provide a better first impression. It was possible to open up the solid wall along Glendale Avenue. Ms. Woytenko said the next steps would use stakeholders to determine what the City wanted the building to reflect. Mr. Phelps said what was being presented was conceptual to show different textures and colors within a reasonable level. The goal was to program it efficiently. The City would grow and so would the size of the government. The growth could be absorbed within the existing footprint. If done City Council Meeting Minutes - December 7, 2020 Page 2 of 5 right, it could give the building another 40-50 years of life. It would also make a statement about the City's commitment to the downtown. Mr. Phelps said space on each floor would be reprogrammed to achieve maximum efficiency and reflect the values of the organization. It would also include efficient maintenance. The City had closed on the $6.5 million Glen Lakes property sale on Friday. The City could accelerate discussions with funding for serious design elements. The Council and citizens would provide direction on design. Councilmember Aldama said the amphitheater should be part of the plan. The new design would show Glendale was a progressive city and was moving forward. It would encourage the downtown merchants to follow suit. Mayor Weiers said if the courtyard was enclosed as the main entrance, it would make it easier to direct people. He also wanted to incorporate LED lights that could change the outside appearance and allow messaging. Mr. Tran that the main entrance idea was spot on. It would be a central point and provide found space that would anchor the amphitheater. Lighting was hugely important. The goal was to make the building a community asset that was used after dark. Lighting would be affordable, transformational and drive the brand. Councilmember Tolmachoff said the City could not expect anyone to invest in downtown if it would not invest in its City Hall. To indicate it was an important part of the community, the City had to improve the building. She asked if the rejuvenation included the Council chambers. Mr. Phelps said it included both buildings, the parking garage and the amphitheater. The use of materials, lighting and color would make a major statement. The design would also centralize security. Programming and function were important and allowed public and secure spaces to be separated. Mayor Weiers asked about solar panels on the parking garage to provide cover for City vehicles and cost savings. Mr. Tran said solar would also send out a message about sustainability which could be conveyed in the design of the building. Councilmember Hugh said the City needed to make the change. He was excited to see what could be done. Councilmember Aldama asked if the area on the bottom floor depicted on the concept illustration would allow public space for art and history displays, a coffee shop, etc. Mr. Tran said the next step would be conversations with stakeholders that showed the potential for the space. The front-end work was hugely important so that the importance of each element could be prioritized. Mr. Phelps requested general thoughts on the concepts. Councilmember Clark supported the idea of remodeling. She wanted to sell the chambers and turn it into a performing arts center. She liked enclosing the courtyard space to make it a one-stop shop. She liked the glass and openness but thought the illustration looked uninviting. She wanted three different proposals. City Council Meeting Minutes - December 7, 2020 Page 3 of 5 Mr. Tran said the principles were daylight, glass, color and the one-stop concept. Ms. Woytenko said the illustration was based upon what might be possible. The next step was to determine what stakeholders wanted. Councilmember Tolmachoff wanted to be cautious about using the City's logo colors which could quickly become dated. The design needed colors that would not go out of style. Vice Mayor Malnar wanted it more open than the illustration if possible. Councilmember Aldama did not agree with selling the chambers building but was intrigued by the idea. The City could lease it out fand it could easily be transformed for other uses. Councilmember Clark said the downtown had always lacked an entertainment destination and the chambers lent itself to a performing arts center. Mr. Tran was working with the City of Tolleson on a full utilization of its Council chambers for meetings, performances, etc. Mr. Phelps said discussions would begin the first of next year to identify stakeholders. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how much money was available for City Hall. Ms. Woytenko said $15 million had been identified but did not include the amphitheater and other separate projects. Staff wanted to integrate projects and talk about timing. Mr. Phelps said $15 million would not be enough. The City now had $6.5 million that was not programmed. It could be shown as a great value proposition to get a building with a 40-50 year lifespan. Councilmember Aldama asked if a process for public input would be created. Mr. Tran said it was crucial to get buy -in from constituents who should have the ability to convey opinion on some level. There would be a steering committee, public surveys and concurrent workshops for the community to give input. Mr. Ledwith said Council would identify the groups to target for input and a strategic document would be created. Mr. Phelps said it started with understanding the programming of the building and how City Hall, the Council chambers, amphitheater, etc. should be utilized. Mr. Tran said work sessions with Council would be scheduled to determine what it liked and what it did not like. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Weiers adjourned the meeting at 11:40 a.m. City Council Meeting Minutes - December 7, 2020 Page 4 of 5 I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Glendale City Council of Glendale, Arizona, held on the 7th day of December, 2020. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 10th day of December, 2020. Juli . Bower, MMC, City Clerk City Council Meeting Minutes - December 7, 2020 Page 5 of 5