Corte Madera to move into new town hall building

Corte Madera’s new Town Hall is set to open this month.

The $15 million building at 30 Tamalpais Drive is energy-efficient, spacious and will serve as a center of civic life for decades to come, said Mayor Eli Beckman.

“Importantly, we didn’t build this for ourselves,” he said. “This building is for our dedicated staff, who work here every day providing the services our residents rely on, and it’s for the community members who come here to interact with town staff and attend town meetings.”

Town Manager Adam Wolff said the facility would open gradually with public meetings over the next couple weeks.

Staff will move in beginning Friday. Some services will be limited during the move, planned through May 31. The building will open for regular business on June 3. A grand opening celebration is planned in June or early July.

“The new all-electric facility will provide our community with a much more open, inviting, and comfortable civic gathering place and decision-making hub, and enhance the town’s ability to provide more efficient and better services by consolidating several town departments into one building,” Beckman said.

The building’s cost, including planning, design, construction, construction management, furniture and building accessories, is about $15 million, Wolff said. The town has utilized bond financing, the general fund and the town’s sales tax fund to pay for the project.

“A final project cost will be provided to the Town Council once the project is fully completed and the project is closed out, likely later in the summer,” Wolff said.

The two-story, 11,000-square-foot building with council chambers can accommodate 95 people. The project includes options for zero net energy and zero net carbon and features a photovoltaic solar and battery backup system.

The project was upgraded from a “risk category” 2 to a category 3 building, which requires additional seismic reinforcement. The upgrade cost $15,000 in additional design fees and is estimated to add about $50,000 to construction costs.

Exterior work includes modified slopes for the driveway and accessibility improvements. There will also be a plaza area built around the protected redwood trees.

Beckman said the town is currently using a building on 240 Tamal Vista Blvd. for town operations.

During the move, there will be no plan check or over-the-counter services available. Phones and email, as well as building inspections, will continue during the closure.

Councilmember Fred Casissa called the new town hall a community focal point that will provide residents with a sense of pride, including architectural design features and sustainability components that would be in place for years.

“After four years in the making, including planning, public workshops, community input, town council and planning commission meetings, and construction, our town staff is ready to move into a modern building that is functional, operational, and aesthetically pleasing,” Casissa said.

“The space provides public gathering spaces, including a plaza, a well-placed and enhanced area for those with questions and requiring various permits, historical Corte Madera art features, and improved staff accommodations,” he said.