Final Committee Recommendation
Memo
To: Jack Dovey, Chair
Land Use & Transportation Committee
From: Community Space Advisory Group (CSAG)
Cc. Jim Ferrell Brian Davis Keith Niven Steve Groom
Tanja Carter Sarah Bridgeford
Date: 22 September 2023
Re: New City Hall & Community Space
Background
The Mayor formed the Community Space Advisory Group in May 2023 to provide a
forum for a community discussion on the potential need for a new or larger City Hall;
and, the merits and need for a new City-owned community space in the downtown area.
The group met monthly from June thru September. The discussions included:
What makes for a memorable city
The vision for Downtown Federal Way
Community Space expectations
What makes for a successful Community Space
Why move City Hall
What makes for a successful City Hall
Funding Challenges and Potential
Bothell’s path to a new City Hall
Developing a recommendation for Council
Evaluation
Based on the conversations that occurred between the CSAG and staff, the CSAG agree
with the following:
1. Community Space
The City is growing and there are a number of community activities that are
limited or not possible in Federal Way due to the lack of available space. It is also
recognized the City has a number of existing financial obligations as well as
existing unfunded capital projects.
However, investing in spaces that serve and foster community activities is a vital
component of a prosperous city and there is an opportunity before the Council
that should not be missed. City facilities, including Dumas Bay and the
Community Center are vital assets for the community, but they are not adequate
in both size and diversity of uses to serve this growing City. In addition, the City’s
vision for its Downtown as a civic hub includes Town Square Park and the to-be-
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built Civic Plaza. There needs to also be an indoor Community space included of
size to meet the growing community’s needs.
2. City Hall
As the City looks to its future, the discussion of a new City Hall should consider a)
the adequacy of the current facility to accommodate the needs of the growing
City; and, b) the impact of having the City Hall buried in a business park has on
the overall image and functionality for the City.
Adequacy of Existing building
The following discussion is focused on those departments and employees not located at
the City’s Operation & Maintenance facility as the city has invested in a new facility for
those municipal functions.
The City purchased the current City Hall building in 2003. The population of
Federal Way in 2003 was 86,000. The City had 293 staff at that time.
The current population is 102,000. The City has 398 staff currently.
The City is expected to reach 130,000 by 2044. City Hall does not currently have
adequate space for the Police Department and Municipal Court downstairs. On
the 2nd floor, City departments are out of space and currently repurposing storage
space into usable office space. Lack of available conference rooms and public
meeting spaces is an on-going issue. Accessing City Hall for those in the
community without a private mode of transportation option is difficult as transit
options are limited and there are few residents located within reasonable walking
distance of the existing facility.
The City has 4 choices in considering City Hall:
1) Take no action and continue to overcrowd the existing City Hall
building. This option, although seemingly less costly, will adversely
impact the City and working conditions for City staff. This will, in turn,
negatively impact the City’s ability to recruit top candidates. This
option does not address concerns over the community’s access to
this facility and lack of public resources.
2) Purchase a 2nd City Hall to allow for part of City staff to remain and
part to locate to another building. Although this might be a more
affordable alternative, cities have found that splitting staff into multiple
buildings creates an operational disfunction that negatively impacts
the organization.
3) Fund an expansion of the existing City Hall. The current City Hall is
83,000 square feet. It is estimated the City should be considering a
space of approximately 120,000 square feet to accommodate its
future needs.
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Whether or not structurally the existing
building could be modified is unknown.
To add approximately 40,000 sq ft to the
existing building would represent an
addition similar to that pictured to the
left. In addition to removing parking for
the addition, the new space would
require significant modification to the
existing structure and generate
increased parking requirements resulting in the need to build a
parking garage or to buy additional property to accommodate the
parking need.
4) Fund the acquisition of a new building or space that would
accommodate the City’s workforce. This option can be divided into 2
sub-options: 1) build a new City Hall that would be purpose-built for
the City; or, 2) look for an existing, empty space of this size.
Repurposing an existing office space to meet City needs would
involve a significant tenant improvement and there are few choices of
office buildings located in the City over 100,000 sf. Existing buildings
of this size in the City include: the Weyerhaeuser headquarter building
(337,000 sf), the Davita headquarter building (187,000 sf), or the
Evergreen Corporate Center (113,000 sf). None of these existing
buildings are located in the Downtown area.
Having City Hall in Downtown
The City is attempting to turn an underdeveloped and underutilized part of the
City into its Downtown. Moving City Hall to this area would serve as a beacon for
public involvement, community gatherings, and a catalyst for private investment
in downtown businesses and community life. City halls exist in almost every city
across America. They serve the same purpose in each place: they are portals
through which the community interacts with local leaders and is a symbol of local
identity and pride. Moving City Hall and its employees downtown immediately
provides 300 shoppers and a lunch crowd that will support local businesses.
The City has expressed a desire for the Downtown to be a mixed-use
neighborhood in City, consisting of residences, retail and office uses. Given the
current post-pandemic office market, it is unlikely the City will be able to lure
office users to this area except for City Hall. City offices also tend to attract other
office uses that interact with City services on a regular basis.
Funding these Facilities
Not considering 2 new, multi-million-dollar facilities, the City has a long list of
existing, unfunded capital and maintenance obligations. Earlier this year, the
City committed to the construction of an expanded Operations and Maintenance
Facility, the cost of which is still being determined. There have been discussions
about turfing fields at Celebration Park. City Hall needs a new roof.
There are 2 questions that need to be asked:
1. Is a new Community Space a “need” or a “want”?
addition
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2. Is a new City Hall a “need” or a “want”?
If either of these are “needs”, then what is their priority for the community?
CSAG Recommendations
1. Community Space: The City incorporate language into the draft development
agreement for TC3 that would allow for the construction of a 40,000± sf
Community Space, subject to the City being able to secure funding for such a
space.
2. Community Space: The City prioritize efforts to fund this space.
3. Community Space: Should funding be possible, that the City utilize a Request for
Proposals (RFP) process to determine the occupant or occupants of the space.
4. City Hall: The City incorporate language into the draft development agreement for
TC3 that would allow for the construction of a new City Hall, subject to the City
being able to secure funding for such a space.
5. City Hall: Prior to determining the size of the City Hall, the City engage with a
space planner to determine the appropriate size and configuration of the facility
to ensure that it is optimal for City departments and the municipal court.
6. Community Space & City Hall: New City Hall downtown is a need. A new
Community Space is also a need for a livable city. But, the Community Space is
undefined at this time. The City should try to realize both spaces, and should
pursue a public process to help define the size and use of the Community Space
& explore options for the Council’s considerations.
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