Juneau’s new City Hall, long past due

Juneau’s current City Hall. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)

By Bruce Botelho

In their strident advocacy for local ballot measures 1 and 2, Angela Rodell and Win Gruening have both attacked the Assembly´s decision to relocate city hall to the Michael J. Burns Building. Rodell´s primary criticism was the Assembly’s failure to pick a “private-sector” property (JI 8/20/25). Gruening lashes out at what he sees as the disgorgement of “millions of dollars for projects no one wants or has asked for" (JI 10/1/25). Neither complaint fairly portrays either the need for relocation or the rigorous process used to decide on the facility.

For the past decade, city staff warned its officials and the public about the growing inadequacies of Juneau’s City Hall, originally built nearly 75 years ago to oversee a community of 6,000. Plumbing, electrical, asbestos and other issues led to remodeling estimates exceeding $17 million. Inadequate space led the city to lease three other properties to house departments in nearby buildings.

It was this background that led the Assembly to twice place ballot measures before voters to construct a new City Hall. These measures failed, but the outcomes did nothing to alleviate the glaring shortcomings of today’s City Hall.

The city ultimately agreed to purchase two floors of the Burns building (formerly known as the “Goldbelt Building”) at a cost substantially below the cost of a new building. Rodell argued that while it might be a “cheaper” deal, it wasn’t a better one. Her thinking: it would have been better to spend more money that would circulate through the local economy. The irony here is that the option that would have had the most positive multiplier effect for our economy would have been building a new City Hall from the ground up. 

This view not only disregards that fundamental economic fact but also overlooks the methodical efforts city staff undertook to identify purchase alternatives that would allow the city to consolidate its staff. Those efforts included examination of both Marie Drake and Floyd Dryden middle schools. Working with local realtors, it found no downtown commercial space that could fulfill its need. Subsequently, in December 2023 it issued a public solicitation of interest  for office space, requesting respondents to outline how it would house city staff, provide for an Assembly Chambers, meet ADA requirements, and have adequate parking.

Three entities responded. These included representatives of the Burns building, the Bill Ray Center and a combined hotel/short-term rental facility on Mendenhall Loop Road. Staff recommended the Burns building for further investigation because of its readiness for immediate occupancy and its ability to accommodate most staff. The city is now poised to make the purchase. 

I am sure it was disheartening to our city’s leadership to see the ballot measures to construct a new City Hall defeated in the face of facts that made it imperative to abandon the current building. I salute the Assembly and staff for their perseverance in securing a facility that will serve our citizens well into the future. Time will demonstrate their wisdom.

• Bruce Botelho is a former Juneau mayor and Alaska attorney general.