Celina approves master planning agreement for future library, government building

Celina Record
By Audrey Henvey | Star Local Media
April 12, 2023

Celina is moving forward on plans to bring a new government center to the area that will include a new library space.

During its regular Tuesday meeting, the Celina City Council unanimously approved an agreement for master planning services for the project. The agreement, made with Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED), was in an amount not to exceed $242,937.

The agreement covers visioning for phase one of the project, which comprises the development of a master plan for a roughly 65,000-square-foot building that will include a 12,000-square-foot library as well as space for city departments like utility billing, development services, engineering, finance, procurement, geographic information systems, information technology, human resources, the city secretary and city management. Phase one is also slated to include up to 4,000 square feet of retail incubator space on the first floor and up to 4,000 square feet for a restaurant and public patio on the top floor, according to city documentation.

Celina Assistant City Manager Kim Brawner said the site is also slated to include a roughly 350-space parking garage behind the building.

During the meeting, Brawner presented a rendering of the building, which shows the project located next to the current City Council chambers at 112 North Colorado St.

“It is what we kind of think it’s going to look like, but this is why we’re hiring architects who do this much better than we do,” she said. “We’ll come up with some visionings.”

Brawner noted that the master planning process will include looking at square footage needs and space planning blocking. She added that the process would include the city’s engineering and finance departments and the city manager’s office.

A presented timeline for the project indicated that work on a concept plan would go from May to December of 2023. Brawner said the expectation is to come before the city council in September or October to present a contract for full design of the project.

According to the presentation, the design process is expected to begin in January 2024 and go through January of 2025, with construction beginning in August 2025 and lasting through December 2026. The city projects that the building will be occupied by spring 2027.