North Liberty celebrates new city hall with ribbon cutting

The city of North Liberty celebrated the grand opening of its new city hall with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, marking its fourth – and hopefully final, city administrators say – destination. Located in an area considered the original part of the city at 360 N. Main St., the recently constructed facility sits between Reds Alehouse and the Police Department along Dubuque, Cherry, and Main streets. The 17,000-square-foot building reflects the city’s goal of increasing efficiency and community engagement, housing many of the administrative departments under one roof and offering flexible indoor community space and a public plaza for events and gatherings. The city bought the land 12-13 years ago, said North Liberty city administrator Ryan Heiar, and broke ground on the building in 2022. It’s the final addition to the city’s civic campus, following the recent remodeling of the nearby fire station and the 2020 opening of the new police station.

The location reflects the city’s intent to reinvest in the original part of the community, said Mr. Heiar. “It’s important to not forget our roots, and invest in the original part of the city,” he said, in addition to following progress in newly annexed areas. Approximately 80 people gathered to commemorate the experience and tour the new facilities, and mayor Chris Hoffman likened the feeling to a graduation party. He addressed the lengthy construction process that began 17 years prior. The city aimed for the facility to be an “opening and inspiring space," he remarked. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive facility planning committee was formed in 2017, tasked with uniting the visions of both residents and city staff, some of whom he named and were present in the audience. “There’s a considerable amount of history in this space,” he said, referencing the building’s location. Sarah and Fred Harris, longtime residents of North Liberty, have observed the city's remarkable growth since relocating there in 1988. According to Ms. Harris, housing has proliferated in every direction. Mr. Harris noted that the establishment of the community center and pool has provided additional recreational opportunities for children, and he mentioned the influx of new businesses to the area. “It’s not so much a bedroom community anymore,” he said.

“To me, it brings back the center of town,” said Ms. Harris, when asked what the new city hall means to her as a resident. “When the grocery store was down the street, this was the center of town.” When they moved here, the only grade school was Penn Elementary, said the Harrises, and several more schools have been added since then, a testament to the city’s explosive growth. While retirement offers the chance to settle somewhere else, they’ve planted roots. “We talked about moving to Tennessee but decided to stay here,” said Mr. Harris. Mayor Hoffman concluded his speech with an exhortation to embrace the new facility. "Welcome, make yourself at home, and we hope this building serves generations to come," he said.