New City Hall Set to Open in Mid-April

Nearly fifty years after the first residents settled into their newly built ranchers and colonials in the planned community called Belair, Bowie’s City Hall is moving out of the Levitt section of the city.

The city government is relocating from the old Foxhill Elementary School building and into a modern, energy-efficient building behind the .

After 33 years on Kenhill Drive, the city government will soon be headquartered in the nearly 80,000 square feet 3-story building on Excalibur Road, in a move that symbolizes the city’s transformation from a quiet bedroom community to a growing city of more than 50,000 residents.

Ground was broken in late September 2009 on the nearly $23 million project, in spite of opposition from two members of the city council, who voted against borrowing the money to help fund the construction.

Former Councilwoman Geraldine Valentino-Smith opposed the project, citing concerns about costs. Valentino-Smith said she supported a smaller separate police facility. Councilman Todd Turner said the issue should have been put before the voters in a referendum, while Mayor G. Frederick Robinson and Councilman Dennis Brady argued against delaying the project.

Total construction costs were approximately $16 million, not including equipment, furniture, and architectural and engineering services.

The cost of the project came in under budget thanks to the city's AAA bond rating and the economic downturn, which made the bidding process more competitive and brought down the cost of construction.

The estimated construction costs for the project were $26 million, $10 million more than what the city ended up paying, according to Assistant City Manager John Fitzwater.

“We were stunned when we saw the numbers,” Fitzwater said. “We got lucky—the [bond]rating the city got, the interest rate—it all came together.”

The need for more space became more acute after the creation of the Bowie police department in 2006, forcing the city to add modular units to the rear of the one-level 39,500 square foot building to house the new department.

“It was crowded before the police department. [The police department] is crammed into trailers. It’s totally inadequate,” said Fitzwater.

Fitzwater said some employees work in closets and employees within some departments are scattered throughout the building rather than in one location because of the limited space.

That will change when the new City Hall opens for business at noon on April 18. The 48-member police department will have its own entrance and parking lot on the ground floor of the building. The building will house most administrative offices of the city government, including a larger city council chambers and conference rooms for public and government use.

Animal control, Code Compliance and Recreation will have walk-up windows for residents in the main lobby. The finance department window where water and other payments are made is a short walk from the lobby.

The city will still maintain the former City Hall building, according to Fitzwater. Youth and Family Services, the TV studio and Comcast cable will remain in the Kenhill Drive building. There will also be space for community meetings there.

A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony at the new City Hall is scheduled for the morning of May 7.