CHEYENNE — The Cheyenne City Council is moving ahead with plans to overhaul its aging Municipal Building and create a dedicated facility for council operations, a project estimated at $22 million that will appear on the 2026 sixth-penny sales tax ballot.
During a Friday work session, council members reviewed conceptual renderings prepared by Plan One Architects and Essenza Architecture and discussed how decades-old infrastructure has begun to hinder daily operations. The proposal calls for a full renovation of the existing Municipal Building along with the conversion of the former Laramie County Senior Citizens Activity Center into a stand-alone council building.
Public Works Director Vicki Nemecek told officials that the structure, built in the late 1970s, is plagued by outdated mechanical and electrical systems, poor accessibility, and inadequate security features.
She described severe temperature inconsistencies throughout the facility, explaining that “one room could be 80 degrees, while the room right next to it could be 59.” Aging equipment has also created safety concerns. One elevator has been out of service for more than a month because replacement parts are no longer manufactured, she said.
The elevators are also too small to accommodate emergency stretchers, forcing medical personnel to carry individuals down stairwells from upper floors. Nemecek confirmed that a new, larger elevator is part of the redesign.
Electrical limitations have caused additional disruptions. Nemecek noted that after a recent power outage, the city had to delay reopening because the building lacked the capacity to restart all systems. Even installing automatic hand dryers in restrooms is not possible under the current wiring.
Employees have repeatedly asked for more natural light, she added, as the building contains very few windows. The proposed design would introduce larger windows in nearly every department.
“Overall, these things can only be addressed with a major renovation,” Nemecek told council members. “Those are just some of the ideas. There’s a lot more of why this building needs to be renovated, but I wanted to give you just an overview of how we see it, and what we’re hoping to accomplish is get all those things fixed.”
Britt Morgan, vice president at Plan One and project lead, said architects worked closely with department heads to determine space needs and ideal adjacencies.
Under the current concept, the first floor of the Municipal Building would house public-facing services such as the city clerk, Building and Permitting, Human Resources and Compliance. The second floor would include Engineering, Planning and Development, Public Works, the Downtown Development Authority and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The third floor would be reserved for the mayor’s office, city attorney, treasurer, IT department and Community Recreation and Events, along with a mechanical room. Each level would feature shared meeting spaces.
The separate Council Building at 2101 Thomes Ave. would contain Council Chambers, offices for council members, committee and executive session rooms, a security office and two public lobbies. A records storage building is also planned for the southeast corner of the Municipal parking lot.
Architect Jeff Rogers of Essenza explained that the schedule is designed so the council can relocate before construction begins on the main building.
“One of our goals is to complete the council building so that the chambers can move over, and the council office can move over, and we can begin construction on (the Municipal) Building,” said Jeff Rogers, Essenza architect. “So that’s what has dictated how the schedule goes.”
For the Council Building, schematic design is expected to finish by March 25, with construction running from Aug. 25, 2026, to March 23, 2027. The Municipal Building design would be finalized by March 24, 2026, with construction slated for March 18, 2027, through March 30, 2028.
The projects hinge on voter approval. The City Council must submit final sixth-penny ballot selections to the Laramie County commissioners by April 6. If approved, early voting would begin July 21 ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election.
City officials say the investment is necessary to bring the seat of local government into the modern era, improve public access and ensure the safety of employees and visitors for decades to come.
Originally reported by Alyssa Tolman Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Wyoming News.
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