The Stockton City Council held its final regular meeting at historic city hall on June 23, marking the end of nearly a century of city business in the downtown landmark as the city prepares to transition to its new civic complex in the Waterfront Towers.
A final Council Audit Committee meeting, described by city officials as the last official council-related session in the building, was held on June 25.
The city began its move to the new city hall on Feb. 12, relocating all public service counters, including the finance department, community development department, building and life safety, planning, development engineering and fire prevention, to the renovated buildings at 501 W. Weber Ave. and 509 W. Weber Ave.
Additional departments were relocated as construction progressed, with both towers reaching full occupancy this summer. The council, its committees and citizen boards and commissions will begin meeting in chambers at the new city hall on July 7.
Stockton’s need for a larger, updated city hall was officially recognized by the city council in 2007 when it voted to purchase the former Chase Bank building at 400 E. Main St. for $35 million to replace the historic city hall, in part due to the city’s growing workforce and infrastructure problems that made renovations difficult.
Stockton lost the former Chase Bank building during bankruptcy in 2012. The city rented it from a creditor for about $950,000 a year through 2022, and previous plans to renovate it for a new city hall never materialized.
In 2017, Stockton’s city leaders proposed an alternative plan to purchase the Waterfront Towers for $13.6 million. Initial estimates projected that renovating the buildings would cost $11.9 million. The city council approved the purchase of the property.
By 2022, city officials said the new city hall would cost taxpayers nearly three times the initial estimate, with estimates that year at $74.5 million. Officials attributed the increase to rising labor, oil and material costs after the pandemic.
The new city hall continued to face delays and cost overruns, with some estimates exceeding $100 million, according to a Stocktonia report. City officials have not confirmed a final cost.
After years of uncertainty over when the new city hall would open, the wait for city employees, elected officials and members of the public has come to a close, along with the end of the era at historic city hall.
During the June 23 council meeting, councilmembers reflected on historic city hall at 425 N. El Dorado St. and Stockton’s political legacy as they prepared to leave the old pink-and-green chambers in the building constructed in 1926.
Historic city hall was dedicated on Dec. 3, 1926. Its first-floor lobby features masonry, terra cotta and marble, a coffered ceiling and decorative bronze electroliers. In later years, murals by local artist Greg Custodio were added.
Vice Mayor Jason Lee recalled growing up in Stockton and meeting former Mayor Gary Podesto at city hall, saying he once asked for support for a youth initiative.
“I didn’t know what a mayor was. I just knew he was in charge,” Lee said. “He wrote me a check, and I did that, and it was great while it lasted, but lots of history here.”
Lee also thanked city staff and elected officials past and present, saying he hoped they were enjoying the new buildings.
“It takes a lot of grit, and a lot of patience, and a lot of ambition to govern,” Lee said. “It’s a thankless position, but nonetheless, an important one.”
Lee suggested the council take a commemorative photo with their commissioners at the new Stockton City Hall during the upcoming ribbon cutting.
District 3 Councilmember Michael Blower called the council’s final meeting at historic city hall “a bittersweet moment,” reflecting on the building’s nearly 100-year history.
“This building was first dedicated on Dec. 3, 1926, so we made almost 100 years of having meetings in this building,” Blower said.
Blower noted that the historic city hall cost $500,000 to build, which he described as a significant sum at the time, and said Stockton’s population was about 46,000 in 1930.
“If you take that money and convert it to current money, it’s about nine, nine and a half million,” Blower said. “If you think about it, it actually wasn’t too bad of a deal, but it was a much smaller city at the time.”
Blower also recalled personal memories in the building, including attending council meetings as a high school student for a government class and his appointment to the council in 2016, when the meeting ran so late that he was sworn in after midnight.
Blower said he is optimistic about the future of the historic city hall and expressed support for preserving it.
“I look forward to seeing what will be the next step of this building, and I’m dedicated to doing what I can to help preserve it and continue to have this be a landmark,” Blower said.
District 5 Councilmember Brando Villapudua reflected on the building’s history and listed several past mayors, including Podesto, Ann Johnston, Ed Chavez, Anthony Silva, Michael Tubbs and Kevin Lincoln, and acknowledged Ralph Lee White, who was Stockton’s first Black vice mayor.
“It’s been fantastic seeing a lot of great things here,” Villapudua said. “This place will never be forgotten. It’s going to be here. It’s not going to be torn down. We’re going to another great place to make even better memories.”
Villapudua said the new city hall will have improved HVAC, more parking and additional seating for residents attending council meetings in person.
The city’s transition will culminate with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. on July 7 at 501 W. Weber Ave., followed by the council’s first meeting at the new city hall at 1 p.m., according to a city news release.
“For a century, historic city hall has stood as a symbol of our community’s resilience, and it will continue to serve Stockton for years to come,” Mayor Christina Fugazi said in a statement. “As we open the doors to our new home on Weber Avenue, I am proud of what this moment represents for our residents: a city government ready for the future while honoring everything that brought us here. On behalf of the entire city council, we celebrate this new beginning for Stockton, one that looks ahead with confidence while respecting our rich and deep history.”
In a statement, City Manager Johnny Ford said the new city hall will streamline services by bringing multiple departments into one location.
“This is a proud day for Stockton,” Ford said. “Our new city hall brings the services residents use most into one place and makes it easier to do business with the city. I want to thank the staff and the project team who worked to make this happen, and I look forward to welcoming our community through these doors on July 7.”
Historic city hall will remain in use for administrative offices, including the community services department and the Office of Violence Prevention, the news release said.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: After nearly a century, final meeting adjourned at historic Stockton City Hall
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
