The city of Fayetteville is seeking suggestions for the next life of the building it has been using as City Hall for the past 25 years.
The Fayette County community of around 18,000 is building a new City Hall, which it plans to move in to this summer. In doing so, it will free up its current home and its 12,500 square feet of space.
“We would love to see the existing City Hall reused in a way that fits with our vision for a walkable, enjoyable, revitalized Downtown Fayetteville, Fayetteville City Manager Ray Gibson said recently in a release.
“The proximity to the Historic Courthouse Square and to the new City Hall will become a greater and greater advantage as we continue to redevelop the entire downtown area.”
Fayetteville issued a request for proposals in October to gauge redevelopment interest in the property. Possible uses include restaurants, retail shops and business incubators, leaders said, though they are open to other ideas.
The building, constructed in the 1940s, was originally a school and had replaced another school that burned in the same location in 1938. Fayetteville purchased the building in the early 1990s before using it as City Hall starting in 1995.
The facility, which including about 50 parking spaces, has been remodeled to turn classrooms into offices. The City Council chambers was newly built in 1995.
“This is really a local landmark,” Downtown Development Director Brian Wismer said. “We’re excited to see what will become of this building in its next cycle of life after having served as our community’s City Hall for more than a quarter of a century and as one of the community’s main school facilities going back 80 years.”
About the Author
