City Offices on Docket for Council Tonight

Constructing new offices for city employees is expected to cost at least $14.1 million, and administrators are asking permission from the Novato City Council on Tuesday to OK that plan and open construction bids.

The city administrative offices are to be built at the corner of Machin Avenue and Cain Lane on land that serves as a civic parking lot just south of the long-closed . Most of Novato's employees have worked in leased space on Rowland Way since a cluster of city-owned buildings off Sherman Avenue were red-tagged by the fire marshal.

According to a staff report, Kitchell, the project/construction management company for the project, has been providing regular updates to staff about the bill for the 18,887-square-foot, two story complex just steps away from . The design has been completed by RMW Architecture and Interiors.

When the City Council approved the project on May 10, 2011, the high-range estimate for all costs was $16.5 million. Although some residents expressed support for relocating staff members downtown and creating a long-wished-for civic center area, others all but begged the council to buy an existing building and spent the capital-improvement money on other projects.

Tuesday's meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Novato City Hall.