Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly Jr. highlights a marker designating the administrators for the city of Springwells in 1923 that hangs in the entrance at Dearborn City Hall, 13615 Michigan Ave., Sept. 9 following the City Council meeting. The building was city hall for Springwells until 1929 when the city of Dearborn was incorporated. The city administration will move down the street to the Dearborn Administrative Center, which is set to open for business Sept. 23.
By BOB OLIVER
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — The adjourning gavel banged for the last time at City Hall, 13615 Michigan Ave., Sept. 9, as the City Council closed out its last meeting before moving down the street to the Dearborn Administration Center later this month.
The DAC, 16901 Michigan Ave., will open at 8 a.m. Sept. 23 with the first council meeting at the new location occurring at 7:30 p.m. that night.
Council President Susan Dabaja said although she has only been on the council since January, she had already developed an attachment to the building.
“It’s been a privilege and honor to work in this building,” Dabaja said. “I’ll miss it but I’m looking forward to moving to the new DAC.”
The current city hall was opened for the administration for the village of Springwells in 1922.
In 1929, Dearborn Township and Fordson merged and the building became city hall for the city of Dearborn.
Last July, Artspace, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit real estate developer, purchased the City Hall complex “as is” for $1.65 million with plans to renovate it to create 53 work and living spaces for artists as well as spaces for art studios, art organizations and creative businesses.
The sale did not include City Hall Park or the city-owned parking lot south of John Nagy Drive.
The war memorials and statue of former Mayor Orville Hubbard currently outside City Hall will be moved to the DAC next year.
Commenting on the move, Councilman Thomas Tafelski, a vocal opponent of the sale of City Hall and moving of city operations, said he would “miss the old place.”
“This building is part of the fabric of our community and our rich history,” Tafelski said. “I really wanted Artspace to come to the city, I just wish we could have found them a different spot that would compliment the city. I really hope the move works out in the long run for our taxpayers.”
Mayor John O’Reilly Jr. said the move makes sense for the city because it is more cost-efficient long-term and will put the administration in the middle of the city in close proximity to the courthouse, Police Department and performing arts center.
“This is the best bet for the city because it’s a newer building and we’ll be able to utilize our resources better,” O’Reilly said. “We’ll save $450,000 a year in operations and our administration will be centralized in between the east and west wings of the city. This is about looking to the future.”
He also said he had a lot of fond memories from City Hall that he would leave with.
“I’ve been working here as a city councilman and mayor for the last 25 years and before that my father, John O’Reilly Sr., worked in this building from 1953 to 1985,” O’Reilly said. “I’ve been coming here for quite a long time and have many great memories here. This building is an institution.”
O’Reilly said moving city operations shouldn’t change residents’ opinions about the building.
“This building will always be city hall, which is why from the beginning we’ve been saying that we’re not moving city hall, we’re moving the city administration,” O’Reilly said. “This historical building will always look the same from the outside.”
The building was designated a historic site by the state last November and the outside of the building will not change as Artspace renovates the interior to living spaces.
O’Reilly said Artspace will become a focus area for the east side of the city once it gets up and running.
“Artspace will get a lot of people engaged in this neighborhood and will be real attraction for the area,” O’Reilly said. “We’re excited to have them here.”
Construction at the building is expected to take one year with the first tenants moving into the lofts around November 2015.
(Bob Oliver can be reached at [email protected].)