Buena Vista Town Hall

The existing town hall lacks many important amenities of a 21st century town hall….from lack of technological infrastructure, no ADA compliant restrooms, and a two story public building with no elevator to reach the upstairs meeting hall. An underused plot of land at the corner of Main Street and the highway into town created an opportunity to modernize and plan for the future. The present property was owned by the local arts council, and so some of the new facility would become an art gallery, giving the building even broader usage.

With an eye toward creating a modern building that honors the historic building traditions of the region, we offered several solutions with varying approaches to civic, office and gallery uses, sited to add a distinctive gateway to the town. The project itself had to be shelved. The town was unable to negotiate a price for the purchase of the property that was in line with the appraised valuation, and unable to reach a deal, the contract for sale was withdrawn. The town is looking for another suitable location for a town hall with a modified scope, as it will likely not include art gallery space.

Project Team: Ben Wurzer, Holly Paris, Casandra Huff, Amanda Tharp, Nathan Paris
Local Participants: Brandy Reitter
DOLA Regional Manager: Christy Culp