Sheboygan’s City Hall has been under renovation since the groundbreaking event took place on June 4, 2018, but now the building is complete.

Staff will begin moving back in after a grand opening Tuesday Sept. 3 which includes a community open house from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be at 4 p.m. and the Common Council meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

City Hall is located at 828 Center Avenue, however the new main entrance is now on the north side of the building.

Mayor Mike Vandersteen noted, “We wanted to hold the open house before city departments and staff move back in to allow the public to walk into every room and see the investment they have made in refurbishing this 102-year-old building.”

After decades of discussion on the future of City Hall, on April 4, 2018, the Common Council voted unanimously to approve a budget of $10.5 million for the building renovation to improve its functionality for the benefit of the public and city staff.

The plans created by Bray Architects of Sheboygan allowed for a more efficient floor plan with a new entrance atrium, plaza, and 14 off-street parking spaces on the north side of the building.

City Administrator Darrell Hofland commented, “The renovated City Hall is a gem and is now capable of serving Sheboygan residents and its employees for another 100 years.”

The renovation of City Hall has been completed within the approved budget by Quasius Construction of Sheboygan and their subcontractors.

The project included preservation of the central three-story staircase and restoration of the Council Chambers ceiling including a stained glass skylight.

The exterior of the 3-story atrium addition features tile panels that complement the architecture of the historic brick structure.

The original City Hall was built by the Immel Construction Company at a cost of $150,000.

The building was turned over to Sheboygan Mayor Otto Joerens and dedicated on January 27, 1917.

It was designed by Architect H.W. Buemming with W.C. Weeks as associate architect.

Important work was done by Department of Public Works staff with the assistance of Bray Architects to develop efficientfloor plans, identify furnishing and technology needs, improve public accessibility, manage the architectural process, develop a realistic budget, identify temporary office sites, and determine how to pay for the project.

David Biebel, Director of Public Works, added, “It was an honor and privilege to be part of this project and with all the support from the project team and employees we can all celebrate the final project which preserves the past with a focus on the future.”

Learn more about the project at http://www.sheboyganwi.gov/cityhall.

Staff was tasked with reviewing a century’s worth of records and implementing a records retention policy.

They then packed up all their offices to prepare for the City Hall renovation. Nine departments moved to alternate locations for the 15-month construction period.

Two office locations were secured and all City Hall departments have been housed at the former Social Security Administration office at 606 N. 9th Street or the former Sheboygan County Highway Department office at 1211 N. 23rd Street.

During the construction period, the meetings of city committees were relocated to meeting rooms at the Mead Public Library and the Municipal Services Building.

The Common Council meetings have been held at the Sheboygan County Courthouse.