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Soon, the City of Dickinson will vacate the former city hall building and move into the one-time American Bank Center building. As part of the process, updates on the project were discussed during the Dec. 7 Dickinson City Commission meeting as Street Operations Manager David Clem highlighted the ongoing renovation efforts. The project is on-schedule and employees of the city are projected to be in place by 2022.
Clem noted in his report to the Dickinson City Commission that there was an issue with the subflooring that required immediate action before the problem could worsen.
“... One of the big things as we got into this building, obviously it was extremely old. So when you start having floor move and walking on you, there was a lot of stuff that we had to tear up," Clem said. "Originally, when you walked into American Bank, this was all tile. None of the tile was cracked or any of that stuff. But as the tile was ripped out — carpeting and all that stuff — the subfloor… was just unexceptional."
Clem noted that previous renovations to replace some of the subflooring had been completed, but it was only smaller sections and noted that when there’s a lot of settlement in buildings such as the former American Bank Center, "it causes issues," he said.
“What was happening as they removed the tile and over a period of time, they started cracking because they started causing settlements. It was so heavy in areas,” Clem said, explaining that some areas had a 4.5-inch difference. “... So the weight was not dispersed evenly.”
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Repair work on subflooring had, in Clem's view, “really opened up a can of worms.”
Following the current renovations to the subfloor of the building, Clem projected increase costs associated with the overall project by an estimated $24,000.
In other updates, the construction crew have completed their installation of security glass throughout the building. The new commission room underwent re-carpeting, with Clem adding that the podiums, tables and commission seating were in place. Over the next week, wallpaper in the commission room is projected to be installed as well as the unveiling of the City of Dickinson sign that will be transferred from the current city hall to its new resting spot.
“... It’s coming together very well,” Clem said.
