Ground Broken on New City Offices

After 40 years of debate and discussion, cheerleading and the pooh-poohing, it's really going to happen. A new complex to house city employees will start taking shape soon on Machin Avenue.

Civic leaders got together Tuesday afternoon, just before a Novato City Council meeting, to say a few words about what it took to get to that point. The parking lot between the Novato Community House and the businesses along Grant Avenue will be turned into a corporation yard and construction workers will start by excavating the underground parking garage for the 19,000-square-foot building.

Members of the Novato City Council — Mayor Denise Athas, Madeline Kellner, Pat Eklund, Jeanne MacLeamy and Eric Lucan — each said a few words to mark the occasion along with City Manager Michael Frank. Then the golden shovels were pulled out for the traditional photo op.

For a full story about Tuesday's event, check this story from the . For a story about the chronology of the planned construction work and a reminder about downtown parking challenges while the project is going on, .

Now that it's officially under way, what are your thoughts? Are naysayers coming around ... Can they work to embrace the new building? Are longtime supporters of a civic center in Old Town getting emotional about all this? Share your thoughts with a comment below.