Lockport takes first steps on renovating 128-year-old City Hall building

Lockport — The Lockport City Council’s Committee of the Whole took the first steps this week toward a major renovation of the City Hall building.

The committee voted Wednesday to grant preliminary approval for a professional services agreement with Tria Architecture for designs on new heating, ventilation, air conditioning and control systems for the building, which will go to the City Council’s consent agenda Sept. 18. The design services are set to cost $251,250.

City Administrator Ben Benson said the city has been looking at the possible needs of the building since 2018, and while small improvements have been made. The 128-year-old building (formerly Lockport Central School) has not seen major improvements since the 1980s.

“This needs to be done. Things are starting to fail. It’s a microcosm of what happened at the high school last year.”

—  Ben Benson, Lockport city administrator

While there is no immediate danger created by the building’s current condition, the system is performing poorly and multiple leaks in pipes and radiators have been discovered, including in the third-floor women’s bathroom, where a portion of the ceiling already has been removed.

While the focus of the project will be on the HVAC system, the work will also include improvements to other related systems, including electrical and plumbing systems, as well as potential structural reinforcements of the roof.

“This wasn’t in the official budget this year, but we have a fund balance to pay for it,” Benson said.

“This needs to be done. Things are starting to fail. It’s a microcosm of what happened at the high school last year,” he added, referencing the ceiling collapse at Lockport Township High School’s Central Campus, another century-old building that had gone decades without major renovation.

In the proposed agreement with Tria, the architectural firm details the scope of the design project, including “replacement of all mechanical systems within the existing City Hall Building,” new HVAC control systems, new fire alarm system, connections for a temporary backup generator, “design electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems as required to accommodate the new HVAC design,” structural reinforcements of the building to accommodate new mechanical equipment, and a new roof access hatch.

Benson said the city also is in the process of a “third-party asbestos review,” which could also be addressed in the eventual construction.

The building reviews that were conducted in recent years also recommend new windows, although Benson said the city could pursue grant funding for that aspect of the project, which could be completed at a later date.

Benson said the design and bidding process is likely to take about six months once officially approved, and that work would ideally begin in spring 2025.

Before the start of construction, the city also will need to create a plan to relocate employees and departments during the work to continue providing uninterrupted services to residents.

While the total cost of the project will not be known until the bidding process is complete, Benson estimates the work will cost the city between $2 million and $3 million, depending on the scope of the work and which options they choose to implement from the design proposals.

All designs will take into consideration the historic nature of the building and work to preserve its appearance while modernizing its interior.