The building rising on River Street and Maple Avenue has taken longer to build than Snoqualmie bargained for.

But in spite of more than five months of delays, city officials are still excited about moving into their new City Hall this autumn.

The $6 million building, located on the site of the former Snoqualmie fire station downtown, is changing on a daily basis. Construction teams are nearing work on the project’s final leg, including landscaping and interior work. Occupants are expected to move in in late September or early October.

Delayed opener

Ground was broken for the building last June, but weather and construction-related delays held up the job — for five months and counting.

“We wanted that building March 27,” City Administrator Bob Larson said.

Meeting on Monday, Aug. 10, the Snoqualmie City Council approved spending an additional $91,000, supplementing contracts for work by Harris and Associates, and Engineering Economics, Inc. Harris’ total is now $492,296, up from an original tally of $272,280. Harris is provideing construction management services and overseeing all contractors. Engineering Economics is responsible for ensuring work meets the city’s specifications.

“I think we all know performance on this has been unsatisfactory,” said Councilman Bryan Holloway, who chairs the Snoqualmie Public Works committee.

The city, Holloway said, has taken steps to recoup some of the cost overruns of the new city hall. Larson said the city is passing on some delay-related costs to its contractor.

Snoqualmie briefly stopped paying for the project earlier this year.

Holloway told council members Monday that it’s not a good idea to switch contract management so close to the finish of construction.

“I’m anxiously waiting for the building. I think it’s going to have a positive impact for city government,” he told the Record.

“I’m not pleased with the current schedule and cost performance, though,” Holloway added.

The project is still within its budget, Larson said.

So far, less than a quarter of the contingency fund the city set aside for unexpected costs has been used.

More efficient

Delays mean more time city departments spend scattered across the city. It also means Snoqualmie must wait a little longer for the cost efficiencies the new building is supposed to provide.

When complete, the new city hall will free up the current administration and planning building for private development, which would pay taxes into city coffers and contribute to the local economy.

The move will also mean Snoqualmie won’t have to lease space for city attorney Pat Anderson.

“The buildings we’re in right now, we want to get back into the private market “ Larson said. “Our downtown development is dependent on getting those buildings” open to private enterprise.

The new city hall will be an energy-efficient structure, Larson said.

The building is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.

It will use radiant heat, minimize forced air and have plenty of operable windows. Cool air will enter the building in the morning and keep it cool through the afternoon.

Among the building’s many sustainable elements is its passive solar design, which will utilize the structure’s windows, walls and floors to collect, store and distribute the sun’s heat in the winter and deflect solar heat in the summer. The building will have a white roof to reflect the sun’s rays, making the building cooler during hot months, thus reducing energy use for air conditioning. Natural ventilation will also help coolthe building.

Overall energy use is expected to be about 30 to 40 percent less than a conventional air-conditioned building.

The materials and colors of the building, gray and green hues, are meant to evoke Mount Si and Snoqualmie Falls. There will be water and rock features around the building and in the adjacent public plaza.

Council chambers will view River Street and will be larger than the existing chambers at the Snoqualmie Fire Station.

Moving in this fall will bring several city departments into the same building, which means a new work paradigm ­— as well as new offices — for city staff, who’ll have more direct interaction.

“The idea is that instead of traveling to another site or sending e-mails, they’ll be able to walk down the hall,” said Larson.