PRESS RELEASE
Aspen Relocating to New City Hall
Staff start moving on November 8, building opens for business on November 15
Contacts: Robert Schober, Capital Assets Director, robert.schober@cityofaspen.com or 970-429-1789
Denise White, Communications Director, denise.white@cityofaspen.com or 970-920-5293
Aspen, Colo. – Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 – Aspen’s City Hall is on the move! City staff will begin moving into the community’s new City Hall, located at 427 Rio Grande Place, the week of November 8. This move brings to fruition a project that has been in the works for approximately six years. The building will officially open to the community for business operations on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. A grand opening celebration is planned for mid-December, once staff transition into the new space is complete.
City services will continue throughout the move; however, community members conducting City business or attending City meetings may experience slight delays in response times. Staff appreciates your patience during the move and while adjusting to the new arrangements. The City recommends that those conducting business during the move period reach out via virtual means to minimize disruptions. All phone numbers, services, and business hours remain the same.
City business will be conducted in person at the new Rio Grande Place location starting Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. City Council, however, will continue to hold meetings at the Armory, 130 South Galena Street, through November as supply chain disruptions delayed the AV equipment needed to broadcast from the new facility. The first City Council meeting held in the new City Hall is scheduled for December 7.
The new site consolidates several City services into one facility, allowing the community to obtain information and services easily. This move also allows the City to reduce its externally leased spaces as workgroups relocating from these areas into the new facility.
Once open for community business, the public will experience the ease of finding many related services under one roof. The lower level of the building includes the main entrance off of Rio Grande Place, the Community Development and Engineering Departments, and a seating area by the grand staircase. The middle level consists of the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney, City Council workspace, and Finance Department. The upper level, accessible from Galena Plaza, will house the new Council Chambers, City Clerk, and a training room/community meeting space. The Human Resources and Parking Departments will be located in the newly remodeled, attached Rio Grande building.
The City of Aspen’s IT and Utility Billing Departments will remain at The Armory, which has been the seat of Aspen’s city government since 1956.
The new City Hall is more than just an office building. This 39,000 sq. ft. facility was initially designed to accommodate additional City office space but has morphed over time into a vision for a new City Hall and community asset. The new building is significantly more modern than the former City Hall site at the Armory and has ADA accessibility. It also complements the surrounding civic buildings and possesses a lower profile to emphasize Aspen’s natural environment. Its exterior finishes integrate the use of natural materials that convey a sense of Aspen’s ideals. The final design combines innovative, sustainable building techniques to minimize energy usage and damage to the environment while benefiting people using the building.
The three-story facility also combines bold structural elements such as a glass rotunda and the grand staircase; environmental considerations like geothermal heating and cooling and better indoor quality air; and green space to welcome community use. By bringing City Council Chambers and community meeting areas into the final design, the building invites all of Aspen’s residents, customers, and visitors into the space. The adjacent Galena Plaza, a concept that evolved from a community desire to create a more vibrant and active outdoor area, establishes a friendly pedestrian environment with connectivity to the adjacent civic commons containing Pitkin County government buildings, Pitkin County Library, and the Aspen Police Department.
The final cost to construct the new City Hall building was $34,590,580 and $1,700,000 to complete renovations on the Rio Grande Building.
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