Over the last several decades Deer Park has lost several of its unique and historic features. The Civic Center and the Fairgrounds come to mind quickly. We may lose another.

We’ve been deferring significant maintenance on our historic City Hall for years and there are serious problems. There’s a sewage explosion waiting to happen if critical components aren’t updated, bathrooms are years out of code compliance, and the third floor is too dangerous for you to even walk up the stairs.

In 2021 your city council recognized this growing concern and designated funds from the budget to begin the process of investigating our options. In 2022 we began partnering with a respected architectural firm to help us understand our current building and its unique concerns.

Now, MMEC Architecture is ready to share their full findings with you and your city government on April 5th at 7 PM during a regular city council meeting at City Hall.

You are invited and encouraged to come see the two options your City Hall Task Force has worked with MMEC Architects to develop. Both options have had a significant amount of thought and detail put into them and so we’ll not only see the conceptual drawings but the cost estimates and timelines for construction. A future opportunity for you to interact more with these two concepts and the Task Force members is planned for April 19th in an open-house format from 4-6 PM at City Hall.

We’ve seen what happens when action isn’t taken: facilities lost to time and memory. Let’s work together to make thoughtful decisions for our future – before it’s too late.

Caleb Stapp
Member of the Deer Park City Council

Reprinted with permission.
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