City of Kenmore Invites the Community to Attend
the Dedication Ceremony for the New City Hall
The Dedication Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 22 from 9:30 a.m. to noon and will feature a formal program and other activities. The formal program begins at 10 a.m. with Congressman Jay Inslee invited to be the guest of honor. Other dignitaries have been invited but are not confirmed as of this date. The City’s offices will move into the new City Hall over the May 15 weekend and will open for business on the afternoon of Monday, May 17.
The City Hall is one of Kenmore’s first projects developed under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. The project is on-track to receive a LEED Gold rating. The building features a vegetated roof, rain garden, solar panels, raised floors, water efficient plumbing, energy efficient lighting and controls, pervious pavement, and other environmental features. King County awarded a LEED grant for the City Hall project. Puget Sound Energy is awarding a Conservation Grant, recognizing energy saving features in the building’s design. Project costs are well within the total project budget of $14,421,721 approved by the City Council in March, 2009. The project was completed on schedule and under budget. Something else we should be proud of during this recession.
This is a wonderful addition to our community & I was not at all disappointed at what I saw during the open house on May 8th. The first thing I noticed were the big windows facing to the south, and if you look up, you can see the solar panels that will supply 2.5% of the energy to the building. 
When I went inside, I was equally impressed by everything I saw. All the rooms were light and bright. Above you is a flowing piece of art called “Confluence”, made by Susan Zoccola.
To the right is the entrance to the City Council chamber, which looks out over the city through those big south-facing windows
The chamber itself can be split into two community meeting areas, with a folding wall splitting the two spaces. The mayor’s office and various executive offices will be located behind the council chambers.
The 20,000-square-foot building, located on the corner of NE 181st Street and 68th Avenue NE, features a vegetated roof and permeable pavement to reduce surface water runoff, raised floors, water efficient plumbing, energy efficient lighting and countertops made from compressed sunflower seeds!
Trees that were on the site prior to construction now reappear in the completed project, including a Japanese maple that has been replanted near the courtyard entrance. There is even a nice kitchen that can be used for events that will happen in the meeting rooms.
Wood salvaged from birch and spruce trees has been crafted into several pieces of furniture by Smith and Vallee Woodworks, including a sturdy block lectern from which citizens will speak in the council chambers.
For more information, visit the City’s website at www.cityofkenmore.com/cityhall or call 425-398-8900. I hope to see you all there next week for the New Kenmore City Hall Dedication Ceremony
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