Cape City Hall complex project on pace for fall completion

Anna Kangas, the City of Cape Girardeau’s transformation manager, is the municipality’s point person on the new, $12.5 million City Hall being built on North Lorimier Street. Wednesday, the Southeast Missourian caught up with Kangas, a licensed architect and 2003 Jackson High School graduate, about the progress of the project.

Q: What is the current focus of the construction?

We are starting to do some rough-in work inside the existing buildings — the former Common Pleas Courthouse (built in 1854) and the old Carnegie Library (built in 1922) — for electrical, plumbing and mechanical, but we’re really focusing on the structure of the new addition (which will connect the two) right now.

It is possible we may phase the completion with the existing buildings being finished before the addition and we might be able to move furniture into them a few weeks earlier.

We’re still good for a total wrap-up in the September-October time frame.

In another month or so, this site will look a lot different to passersby.

Workers from Rednour Steel Erectors Inc. weld the metal decking for the floor of the addition that will soon have a concrete topping slab at the new City Hall site Wednesday in downtown Cape Girardeau.Sarah Yenesel

Q: What are the challenges of this project?

Mainly it’s this — the existing buildings are historic, and the new addition will be more modern.

There’s a challenge of preserving the history but also making a complex that helps us live into the future.

We want to be more interactive. The City Council chambers will have more screens and we’re working on a new system to make it a lot easier for citizens to see public meetings remotely.

A challenge of the current City Hall (at 401 Independence St.) is it was built to house a school in the 1930s.

When you walk around, you can tell where the old classrooms and old principal’s office were.

The council chambers used to be a gymnasium.

One of the biggest issues is the electrical and mechanical systems are not adequate.

For example, it is not unusual to have several microwaves in use at the same time and have circuit breakers being tripped.

We have a boiler. It’s off now because temperatures have gone up, but the building is still hot.

You’ll see employees opening windows and running portable fans.

The boiler makes it hard to control the climate controls. I keep thinking, it’s our last spring here.

A worker welds the steel structure together at the new City Hall site Wednesday in downtown Cape Girardeau.Sarah Yenesel

Q: What will happen with the current City Hall, which Mayor Bob Fox has indicated will be sold?

Once we move out, we’ll probably auction a lot of the furniture we leave.

The public will have an opportunity to purchase items, but I wouldn’t anticipate that sale until late this year or early 2022.

Q: What plans are there to furnish the new City Hall?

Almost all the furniture will be brand new and we anticipate finding some great bargains on prices.

We’re using “systems” furniture, which provides more flexibility.

For example, one employee may want a lateral file while another may want a bookshelf.

It’ll be a lot easier to switch furniture out.

We’re actually finalizing a purchase right now through CI Select in St. Louis County, which provided all the furniture for the current city police headquarters on Maria Louise Lane.

We’ll buy a lot through CI and mostly it will be Knoll Furniture, which is American-made.

Q: What is the most satisfying part of this project for you?

I’m really excited about the efficiencies, in part because of the way the offices will be laid out, including making them more secure for our employees.

We’ll utilize card readers for access, for example.

Q: Any other special features to note?

We’ll have a good-sized outdoor courtyard for employees in the complex with tables and chairs.

The new City Council chambers will look out over the Mississippi River.

The complex will have two main entrances: one by the existing water fountain (on the west side of the building) and the other off the top level of the parking garage (to the south).

Both entrances will lead to a centralized reception desk, which we don’t have in the current City Hall.