A large crowd gathered outside Douglas City Hall on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, to celebrate the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House for the newly renovated and expanded municipal building. Current and former city officials and employees joined in the celebration and welcomed citizens and community members into the facility.
“Our City Hall is in the heart of downtown and our community,” says Mayor Tony Paulk. “We now have a one-stop shop for customers to do business with us as well as a building that will leave a great impression on visitors and new businesses. With these renovations and improvements, our City Hall will stay ahead for years to come.”
Attendees of the event enjoyed building tours of the City Clerk/Customer Service Center, Community Development Department, Finance, Human Resource, City Manager, Mayor, and Commissioner offices. After the tour of each department, visitors left the building with door prizes and lunch.
The original City Hall was built in 1959 and had an expansion in 1979. In 2000, seeing the need for fiber optics, electrical upgrades, and other improvements, city officials began planning the building renovations. The City Hall Renovation and Expansion Project began in March of 2021 and concluded in January 2023 with all offices returned to normal business in the building by the second week in March 2023. Renovations included more office space, technology upgrades, and the addition of 6,000 square feet. A total of 6 departments and 27 employees are now housed at City Hall.
Special thanks to everyone who attended, Carried Away Creations – Balloon Décor By Windi, Tifton Coca-Cola, Williams Institutional Foods, and Douglas National Bank.