How Will the Beacon Municipal Complex Ultimately be Viewed?

It’s been four months since the City of Decatur and Potts Construction broke ground on the $38 million new Beacon Municipal Complex that will total more 84,000 square feet.

The project is seeking LEED Sliver Certification for New Construction and Major Renovation and is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2014. The project includes the repurposing and adaptive re-use of two existing historical buildings, as well as the new construction of an additional building to create a three-building city municipal complex. 

The adaptive re-use of the historic Beacon Elementary and Trinity High School buildings originally constructed in 1955 will include the Police and Municipal Court Facility, Active Living Building, and City Schools Building totaling 84,377 square feet. This also includes civil infrastructure construction to support site redevelopment and the construction of a plaza to connect the three buildings.

The new 35,542 square foot Police and Municipal Court Building will house the City Police Headquarters, Chief of Police Office, evidence storage, criminal investigations, sally port, holding cells, records and storage, municipal courtroom, judge’s chambers, 911 center, fitness center, locker rooms, emergency operations center, weapons storage, conference rooms, and support spaces.

The 24,714 square foot Active Living Building will have a large multi-purpose space with moveable partitions, rehearsal studio, quiet room, offices, gymnasium, and history museum space.

The 24,081 square foot City of Decatur Schools Building will be home to the Superintendent’s office, information technology, kitchen and pantry for nutritional department, professional learning center, special education center, large meeting room for over 100, instructional space, conference rooms, and support spaces. A major storm water management facility will be built under Ebster Field. 

Artist renderings can be found here.

• Have you been following the progress of this important City project? Do you think it will prove to be a great success? With the City financing it with $32 million in Urban Redevelopment Authority bonds to go along with fund balance and HOST revenues of $6 million, will this ultimately prove to be money well spent?

• On a different note, considering the project's ultimate use and location at 420 West Trinity Place, did the City miss an opportunity to gain something it could use in tax revenue or density closer to the Decatur Square? Do you envision the complex plaza area becoming a great place for residents to gather for markets and concerts?
  

• What other thoughts do you have on this project that is set to be finished in less than a year? Let's hear what you got to say.