Construction on a new building in the City of Harrisonburg kicks off following a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, June 1, at 11 a.m.
The event will include remarks from City leadership, displays about the new facility and the ceremonial start of work on the new building.
The new building at 320 E. Mosby Road will bring Public Works operational and administrative staff under one roof.
“Public Works is extremely excited to see the construction of our new building begin,” Harrisonburg Public Works Director Tom Hartman said. “We have been able to achieve many great things in our current building and really look forward to how this brand-new facility will help us improve even more and continue to provide great services to the Harrisonburg community.”
The 23,785-square-foot building will include:
- Space for Public Works operational and administrative staff
- New Harrisonburg Fire Department training classroom with a 140-person capacity
- New Harrisonburg Police Department sub-station with an equipment garage
- Over 100 kilowatts of solar panels with 100 percent backup power
- Four electric vehicle charging stations for City fleet vehicle use
The building is designed to meet Virginia Energy Conservation and Environmental Standards program requirements for building energy efficiency.
Background of project
The city commissioned a feasibility study in 2019 to determine if the current Public Works offices should be renovated or if new construction was the most appropriate approach. That study determined that, due to flood plain impacts and age of the existing structure, new construction was the most appropriate approach.
Harrisonburg City Council approved a new capital project for the construction of a new Public Works Building in 2022, and later that year, the Ccty entered a design/build contract with Harman Construction for the new Public Works building.
History
The current Public Works office was originally constructed in the 1950s and has been the home to Harrisonburg Electric Commission, Harrisonburg Public Utilities and Harrisonburg Central Stores over the years.
The building has experienced many renovations and changes since then, and during this time Harrisonburg Public Works grew from being simply the Street Department to including eight different divisions ranging from Sanitation/Solid Waste to Sustainability/Stormwater Management.
Questions may be directed to [email protected] or (540) 434-5928.
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Crystal Graham
