Officials: Building will reflect past, future
A centralized municipal complex — City Hall, Police Department and Municipal Court — approved by the City Council in 2023 is finally being realized.
Current and former Taylor officials broke ground on the new City Hall and Justice Center Complex Wednesday morning at 300 E. Second St., next door to Fire Station No. 1.
The building, which has a $52.155 million price tag, is projected for completion in November 2027.
“The city of Taylor hasn’t built a new City Hall in more than 100 years,” said former Councilman Robert Garcia. “To see this come to fruition is great not just for the previous council who did a lot to get this through, but for futures to come. I can’t wait for it to be erected
FOR MORE
See related opinion column on page 5.
and to walk through it.”
Dignitaries at the ceremony April 29 in addition to Garcia included former council members Gerald Anderson and then-Mayor Brandt Rydell, as well as Mayor Dwayne Ariola and current council members Greg Redden and Heather Long.
Rydell, Garcia, Anderson, Ariola and Mitch Drummond were on the council when the complex was approved.
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, HDR Engineering and Randall Scott Architects are teaming up on the project, which will take 18 months to complete.
“This is going to be the gem of downtown,” said Daniel Seguin, interim executive director of community services. “This is going to be something the community will be proud of and it’ll revitalize this part of our downtown area that hasn’t seen a lot of investment.”
Though some on social media have opined the money is better spent elsewhere, municipal officials argue the complex is needed because current facilities are aging, need constant repair and are running out of room.
For the moment, City Hall is in a former Safeway Inc. grocery store at 400 Porter St., the police station sits inside a one-time beer distributor at 500 S. Main St. and the Municipal Court operates in what used to be a bank at 109 W. Fifth St.
Once the new center is complete, those entities will share a building, increasing convenience for city operations and residents. “This will benefit people in the city because it’s going to be a one-stop shop for everything. They can stop at City Hall, the police station or Municipal Court,” Garcia said. “Everything will be within walking distance, so it makes it more feasible for the entire community.”
According to Seguin, the buildings that currently house city government offices will be available for repurposing. He added the new building is the right fit for the time.
“The first priority in designing this building was a solid foundation,” Seguin said. “The Police Department has been in that (older) building since 1999. City Hall has been in the current building since 1983. We’re out of room and having maintenance problems.”
Design aesthetics of the new complex are also better.
“This new building will give us more space and windows,” Seguin said. “We need to bring more light into the building. … We can combine and have many of our services in one building.”
Garcia echoed Seguin’s sentiments about the new building being a bastion of community pride.
“It’ll be at the epicenter of future events. It’ll be something for the community to be proud of,” Garcia said. “We had a bunch of places where it could’ve been placed, but we wanted to be where people could see it when they drive through town. It’s easily seen. It’ll shine and let people know this is what Taylor is.”
According to a press release from city spokesman Jerrod Kingery, a “Citizen Advisory Panel was established to work alongside the design team and city staff to help shape the project. Members toured public buildings in the region, evaluated design ideas and helped ensure the project reflected Taylor’s history and community identity.”
The city celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, and the $17 billion Samsung Austin Semiconductor foundry is coming online. Both are examples of how the city is growing and why municipal facilities need to keep up in Taylor, a town of 18,000 located northeast of Austin, officials said.
The city’s past will be reflected in the new building, too, said Kingery.
“The final design of the City Hall and Justice Center incorporates classic civic architecture inspired by Taylor’s historic downtown and the city’s former City Hall, which served the community from 1905 to 1935,” he said in the prepared release. “That building featured a dome and cupola over the main entrance surrounded by pillars — design elements echoed in the new City Hall and Justice Center to create a landmark building intended to serve the community for generations.”
The ceremony Wednesday was postponed from April 10 due to inclement weather, he added.
New Police Chief Joseph Chacon speaks at the groundbreaking event for the planned City Hall and Justice Center Wednesday morning at 300 E. Second St. downtown. Chacon, who took over the department March 30, is looking forward to the force moving into the roomier quarters in November 2027. Photos by Jason Chlapek
City Manager Brian LaBorde speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new City Hall and Justice Center Wednesday morning at 300 E. Second St. The building — which will house City Hall, Municipal Court and the Police Department — is scheduled for completion in 18 months.
