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Millwood Mayor Dan Mork made one thing clear at Monday’s City Council meeting – he’s not in favor of turning the city’s municipal centerpiece into “just another building.”
That being said, Mork emphasized that Millwood City Hall – built in 1957 and remodeled just over a decade later – could use refurbishing throughout the interior, including new carpet, tile and laminate.
“It’s time to modernize it, upgrade it and clean it up a little,” Mork said.
The mayor pointed out a number of areas which he said fall short in the aesthetic department, including unpainted doors, unfinished paneling and molding that needs to be replaced. The goal, Mork stressed, is to restore the look of the structure, without taking away from the unique architectural style known as “mid-century modern,” popularized in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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| Constructed in 1958, Millwood City Hall is scheduled for a renovation project this summer. Millwood Mayor Dan Mork said he hopes to maintain the character of the building while refurbishing many of the elements in place for the past half century. |
“Some of the companies we talked to wanted to wallboard the hallways and paint it beige,” Mork said. “We’re more interested in preserving the look, just rejuvenating it.”
The original building – designed by the architectural firm of Eddy, Carlson and James and built by Hefte Co. – opened in May 1957. In January of that year, the Spokane Valley Herald reported that the construction was ahead of schedule due to a mild winter with the roof, framing and windows already in place.
The city had been in discussions with five companies to evaluate the project and submit design concepts. Mork said that Spokane Valley-based Design Works was the only business to emerge with a proposal that addressed each concern in the building.
“I was surprised – I thought we would have a ton of bids,” Mork said. “I know that I’m not going to design this.”
Cost of the Design Works project came in at around $43,000, before tax. Other companies either withdrew from the bidding process or submitted an incomplete design.
Millwood city attorney Brian Werst said many companies won’t invest the time or effort on a project that generates less revenue.
Because the restoration is considered a public works project, specifications will need to be printed and a bid advertised before any work begins. Money for the renovation would come out of the city’s general fund. Mork said he was hopeful the project would begin soon.
“We’ve been working on this since January,” he said. Bobbie Beese, a member of the Millwood Historical Society, said the look of City Hall actually falls somewhere in between Mid Century Modern and “streamlined art-deco,” styles that are making a comeback in today’s architectural circles. Beese applauded the city’s decision to maintain the character of the structure as opposed to a drastic overhaul in line with contemporary design.
“I was hoping it would be the direction the city would take,” Beese said. “It means that 20 years from now, we will have a really nice building instead of something that is dated. It will become more and more special as time goes by.”
In other council news:
· Millwood received a certificate of recognition from the Spokane Clean Air Agency for installing an ordinance that encourages motorists to turn off their vehicles to prevent idling. The awareness campaign, also in place in Liberty Lake, is intended to reduce emissions and improve breathing conditions, especially for those suffering from ailments like asthma.
· Larry Rider of the Spokane Valley Fire Department told council members that there has been a 10-percent increase in call volume over the first six months of the year in Millwood. Ryder added that while July 4 injuries and accidents throughout most of Spokane County were down this year, a number of incidents did occur in Deer Park and Airway Heights.
· The Millwood Public Works Department has transitioned to a four day, 10-hour work week in order to save money on fuel.
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By
Craig Howard
