Issaquah to Buy Office Building, Avoiding New Construction

Issaquah found a new home for its city hall, in a purchase that will save it tens of millions of dollars compared to building new.

The Seattle suburb’s city council voted unanimously Monday to buy an office building at 1055 Northwest Maple Street, where the city plans to relocate its city hall, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported. The city will agree to pay $12.9 million plus closing costs to acquire the property.

The building spans 21,000 square feet of office space, an increase from the 12,600 square feet of the current City Hall South building at 130 East Sunset Way.

The price works out to about $609 per square foot, marking a discount from the average local market price of $725 per square foot.

The seller, whose identity is hidden behind an LLC, will lease back 4,400 square feet for a family office in a seven-year agreement. City hall will occupy 17,000 square feet.

Issaquah floated building a 35,000-square-foot city hall, which likely would have required voter approval and cost between $44 million and $57.8 million to build over three to four years.

Moving into an existing building simplifies Eastside city’s move. Funds from the recent sale of the former City Hall North West building and a food bank will pay for part of the purchase.

“In a time of very careful finances, this is as frugal a space that we can possibly imagine getting anywhere,” City Councilmember Tola Marts said.

Issaquah has been looking for a new city hall location for the better part of a decade.

The city determined in a 2018 task-force review that it needed more administrative space. It found last year that the city’s police department had a critical need for more space.

The City Hall South building will be renovated for use by the police.

— Chris Malone Méndez