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01/31/2025 3:17 pm

Rendering of new Civic Tower.

East Civic Tower - City Hall

Raleigh's New City Hall

Updated: Jan 31, 2025

We're making a key investment in our facilities so we can continue to provide excellent customer service to residents and offer a collaborative, dynamic workspace for employees. The new campus will focus on security, safety, accessibility, and efficiency.

The building will be a 17-story office tower, including 13 floors of departmental office space and conference facilities for staff members, and public-facing government functions. Some key features of the building include: 

  • Public service area; 
  • Council chamber; 
  • Wellness space for staff;
  • Art gallery space; and, 
  • An active open ground floor. 

The new building will allow us to consolidate most of our downtown workforce from multiple office buildings, to offer the public convenient, efficient, customer-focused services in one central location.

The design for this project was completed by Ratio Design. To read more about the design concepts you can visit Ratio's website.  

Project Details

 
Type:
City Properties and Facilities
Budget:
$206 million
Project Lead:
Construction Management
Contractors:
RATIO (design); Brasfield & Gorrie/Holt Brothers Construction (CMAR)

Contact

 

Priscilla Tyree Williams, PE
City Construction Projects Administrator
priscilla.williams@raleighnc.gov
919-996-4147

Have a Question about the Project?
civic.campus@raleighnc.gov

Lead Department:
Engineering Services

Subscribe

 

Planning

The new campus will be located on the Avery C. Upchurch block, 110 S. McDowell Street, the corner of Hargett and McDowell Streets.

The approved master plan for this block will be done in three phases to create a mixed-use block. The first phase will be a 17-story tower located on the southeast corner of the block. This civic tower will consolidate personnel and customer services into one location.

Other features include:

  • Enhanced security; 
  • Larger city council chambers; and, 
  • Efficient office space (housing staff from five downtown buildings). 



The Raleigh Municipal Building and the parking deck will remain on the site with services continuing during construction.

Civic Campus Master Plan

Phase Contacts

 

Elizabeth Nooe

Associate AIA

elizabeth.nooe@raleighnc.gov

919-996-4635

Lead Department:
Budget and Management Services

Design

Design Update

We're working with RATIO and architect Henning Larsen for the design phase. Raleigh City Council approved the conceptual design in October 2020.

In 2022, the project estimate indicated that the project exceeded the approved funding. Overruns were attributed to the severe uncertainty and fluctuations in the construction market, the COVID pandemic, unstable and increasing pricing of construction materials, supply chain and manufacturing delays, and fuel pricing. 

To keep the project within budget, we are revising the design. The new design decreases the number of stories from 20 to 17, four floors will not be built out, and there will be changes to the interior architectural features. 

Next Steps

 

The first phase of bidding was held in September 2023 and represented 67 percent of the construction process. The remainder of the project will be bid in December 2023.

Phase Contacts

 

Priscilla Tyree Williams, PE

City Construction Projects Administrator

priscilla.williams@raleighnc.gov

919-996-4147

Lead Department:
Engineering Services

Construction

On October 3, 2023, City Council unanimously approved the construction price of 181,500,00. The contract is executed, and construction activity is underway.

Stay informed throughout the construction process, visit our City Hall update page.

 

 

Phase Contacts

 

Priscilla Tyree Williams, PE

City Construction Projects Administrator

priscilla.williams@raleighnc.gov

919-996-4147

Lead Department:
Engineering Services

Complete

Phase details coming soon. 

Next Steps

 

Construction is anticipated in 2026 

Phase Contacts

 

Priscilla Tyree Williams, PE

City Construction Projects Administrator

priscilla.williams@raleighnc.gov

919-996-4147

Lead Department:
Engineering Services

Schedule

Projected timeline for East Civic Tower design, construction, and opening
Date Activity
Fall 2018 Civic Campus Master Plan approved
Spring 2019 Authorized to work with design consultant and construction manager-at-risk
Spring - Late Fall 2019 Design contract negotiations
Fall 2023 Construction bidding
2024-2026 Construction
Rendering of new Civic Tower shown from Nash Park

A rendering of what the new East Civic Tower will look like. 

Project History

In April 2015, City Council adopted the City's first strategic plan. One of the objectives of that plan was to align facilities, staff and technology with organizational needs and plan a centralized civic campus that provides easy access to City staff and the the citizens of Raleigh.  

In May 2016, City Council authorized a Master Plan Study for a consolidated Civic Campus, and in the fall of 2018 a Civic Campus Master Plan was approved.    

In 2019 the City signed a design contract with Ratio and Henning Larsen, and in the fall of 2020 a conceptual plan was authorized for the East Civic Tower. 

Due to rising construction costs the development estimate was substantially higher than the original budget. In March of 2023, City staff presented some scope reductions to help mitigate the project costs. 

Artwork in the Tower

Susan Narduli, a Los Angeles-based artist and architect, will be working on the public art at east civic tower. 

This part of the project is through Percent for Art. 

What is a CMAR?

CMARs coordinate with the general contractor and the design team for a project. Working together early in the process reduces risk with constructing a final design. The CMAR for this project will help carryout design and construction specifications in a timely and cost-effective manner to streamline the construction phase.

We're working with Brasfield & Gorrie in association with Holt Brothers Construction for this project. 

Resources

 

2023 City Council Presentation

History of 110 McDowell Street - Old Police Headquarters

2019 Information Sessions