Springfield City Hall renovation to recapture historical architecture and improve accessibility
The city hall building in Springfield, Mo., is undergoing major renovations for the next couple of years to make it more accessible and functional while also restoring its historic architectural elements. This project has been years in the making. The project required time to gather funding and relocate departments from city hall, making it possible to carry out all the renovations at once. Once the renovations are complete, the city hall will be home to new departments while continuing to house the city council chambers.
The city hall was originally designed and built as a U.S. customs house and post office in 1894. In 1914, a large addition was designed wrapping around the east side of the building, which became the city council chambers. Two smaller additions were added in 1921 and 1927 as a mailing vestibule and loading dock. The city of Springfield then purchased the building in the 1930s, and a new building was built for the post office — the Busch Municipal Building. The municipal building also became home to most of the city departments, leaving only the fire administration and the city council and its chambers in city hall.
In 2017, the city administration identified five main goals to complete using a level property tax, which was voted on and passed by the residents. The renovation of city hall was one of these goals. City hall is on the corner of the city’s government plaza, but was a significantly underutilized space that had also had a great deal of deferred maintenance. However, the project seemed on hold following the drastic increase in construction material prices during COVID.
There was a major glycol leak in the summer of 2020, forcing all departments to move out of city hall. All heating and air had to be shut down because of the leak as well. The fire administration found its new permanent location at fire station six. The city purchased a new building for the risk management team. City council meetings have been temporarily relocated to the police and fire training center in the Busch building until the completion of city hall renovations. Because of the leak, a major hazardous material abatement must be completed before the new city hall renovations can begin. This began in July 2024 and was planned to be completed by the end of the year.
The design for city hall was selected in August 2021, and the design contract was signed in June 2022. The renovation project was awarded $422,000 of the level property tax money, and the project also received $6 million from bonds in March 2023. With a variety of funding from different sources, the project is now up to $16.5 million. Construction was opened up to bidding in November 2024 and under contract by the end of the year.
For the renovation project, the building will need all new updated mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, along with a new roof and windows. There had been accessibility issues with only one staircase, so a second staircase is being added along with an elevator to all floors that will be large enough to hold a gurney in case of emergencies. Restroom facilities are being added and updated along with a wellness room for mothers. Networking and information technology improvements will also be done to create a modernized work environment within the building. A sprinkler system is being added in for increased safety. The city council area, which is in a horseshoe shape now, will be flattened out so that it faces the audience more. The two smaller additions will be removed and made into an entrance.
Construction is planned to start early next year following the abatement. Since the city hall is on the national registrar of historic places, it adds some challenges to the renovation process. However, the plan is to remove some of the previous renovations and highlight some of the previously hidden historical aspects. Many of the columns and ceilings had been covered and had not been seen for 70 years. On the exterior, there will be some general stone repair and stone cleaning to ensure the stone exterior can withstand the next 100 years. In the building’s interior, the historic columns will be exposed in a lobby entry space and shaped to appear more symmetrical, like the original design of the building. Four columns will remain at the center of the lobby, reconstructed from pieces of the other columns. Three of the five vaults will be kept. Marble stone panels that were previously used in the restroom will be reused elsewhere in city hall. The architects hope to use these historical aspects to highlight the elements of the building.
“The key is to evaluate various additions and decide what to remove and what to keep,” Stephen Telscher, architect and project manager from Sapp Design Associates Architects, mentioned. “Generally, we start with the south lobby, which is a key marker, and the corridors prevalent in the floor plan. These are the critical areas to keep from a historical preservation perspective. When we move into the side rooms, we have more freedom to modify (elements) to meet the functional, day-to-day needs. The challenge is how to put new, modern electrical and plumbing into a historical building while trying to preserve the visuals.”
The design is to use float ceilings in the middle of rooms and offices for fire sprinklers and the like while keeping the main corridor ceilings as high as possible.
The project is expected to finish in summer 2026, with funding constraints requiring completion by the end of 2026. After the project is complete, the new city hall building will house the city clerk’s office, city council and council chambers, finance offices and the mayor’s office. The basement will house the custodial public works department and archive storage for city documents.
For other cities considering a similar project for a city hall or municipal building, Jennifer Swan, Springfield Public Works city architect, recommended, “Complete a full assessment of the facility to reveal as many unknowns as you can and then put aside funding for unknowns. Always be on search for funding. Clearly identify project goals and aim to complete those and then any remaining funding can be used.”
Telscher emphasized the importance of doing a full renovation on the building since a phased approach would not work, particularly with pulling out old mechanical in an occupied building. “The funding perspective has a big impact,” he explained. “Find financing for the rehabilitation. If you know the building will need a full redo, there’s no need to spend money on little fixes here and there. If there are big changes being planned, communicate it to the community that it’s coming.”
Four columns will remain in the center of the lobby. The columns that are damaged will be pieced together using other columns’ pieces. (Photo provided by the city of Springfield, Mo.) The Springfield, Mo., city hall, originally built in 1894 as a U.S. customs house and post office, is undergoing major renovations over a few years to modernize the mechanical, electrical and plumbing; make it more accessible; and better utilize the space. (Photo provided by the city of Springfield, Mo.) In the 1930s, the city purchased the city hall building. Much of it was or already had been converted to office space, hiding the original architecture. After a glycol leak in 2020, a hazardous material abatement had to be completed prior to renovation, which included small demolition such as removing previous renovation to reveal the columns and ceilings hidden. (Photo provided by the city of Springfield, Mo.) 
While working to preserve the historic architecture in the columns and corridors that haven’t been seen for 70 years, the city must also make it more accessible. This includes adding a second staircase and an elevator. (Photo provided by the city of Springfield, Mo.)
