"Any effort at revitalizing our downtown area must take root with the realization that it must unquestionably be done."
—Alan Autry, Mayor, Fresno CA
The subject of a new city hall has been talked about seriously off and on since early in 2006 when the City awarded a contract to Holleran, Suitsman Architects (HDA) in the amount of $272,000 to conduct a City Hall study that would, among other things, choose locations and create conceptual site plans. In 2005 the Board selected the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) location as one potential site, The Whisk property at the far west end of Main Street, and an undetermined site in the downtown area. It is now known that they were talking about the property currently occupied by the City Finance Department at the intersection of Pearce Blvd. and Linn Avenue.
HDA designed a "generic" plan that could be used in any of the three selected potential sites. This works to the City's advantage so when it does have the means to purchase land, it will have a site plan that will work. The plan chosen will occupy two city blocks, one the hall structure, and the other a parking garage. The parking structure will be three levels at approximately 21,600 square feet per level and will house about 200 vehicles. The garage will attach to the City Hall structure, ensuring easier access and protection from the elements. The City Hall structure will be approximately 50,000 square feet, three levels at about 18,000 square feet each. The entrance will be on the corner of the street, and will include a public drop-off semicircle and public plaza.
This plan fits perfectly on the area of Pearce Blvd. and Linn Avenue. It was designed specifically for this intersection and needs to be built there. There are people who claim that it would be more economical to put it on the Wentzville Parkway in front of the LEC because we already own the land. This thinking is faulty on a number of levels. The land owned by the City on the Wentzville Parkway is prime retail frontage. If the city would sell that land they would realize more than enough to buy the two blocks in the center of the village center. Not only that, the City already owns most of the block behind the proposed site which would add space for other structures or parking.
The Village Center site is owned by one family who live out of state and leases it to Commerce Bank and the City. It would be a clean transaction and if not, is a perfect candidate for eminent domain. The Whisk property has serious access problems. To make it work the City would need to get the state to put an entrance/exit on highway 70 from the west and then tunnel through under the railroad tracks to gain access from the north. The least resistance is the LEC location but it has been said that there may not be enough room.
The avenue of least resistance in this project would cut the heart out of Wentzville and is not the best avenue for the future of the Village Center and the City. In 2012 the City of Wentzville will be 157 years old and and will celebrate the 155th-year anniversary of the first train train pulling into our fledgling town. If our founder William Allen, and the good visionary men and women who built our city could see that Wentzville's City Hall would be placed anyplace other than the village center, I doubt very seriously if that first train would have stopped here in 1857.
I urge our great conservative Board of Aldermen to make an intelligent decision when planting the heart of Wentzville. Speak with our long-time Village Center residents and business owners to get their opinion. Move forward with whatever is necessary to get this project under way, reignite the growth of our village center, and start its new economic engine. Make the Village Center a destination that our forefathers would be proud of, not just another contemporary throw-away building out of town between the strip-malls.
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