Atascadero prepares to move city offices back into rotunda building
The Atascadero City Council’s August meeting will likely be its last at Colony Square before city offices move back into the landmark rotunda building at the nearby Sunken Gardens.
After the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake, Atascadero moved its city hall to a former bowling alley at 6907 El Camino Real until its historic City Administration Building could be fixed.
It will be the first time in 10 years that city offices will once again be housed in the historic location at 6500 Palma Ave. A sneak peek will be offered on Aug. 2 during a special ticketed event called “An Elegant Evening at the Rotunda.”
City offices plan to move Aug. 5 through Aug. 19, as operations transfer over by department. The current city hall at Colony Square will remain open to the public through Thursday, Aug. 15. On Friday, Aug. 16, offices will be closed per the city’s normal Friday schedule. Then, on Monday, Aug. 19, both city hall buildings will be closed before the Aug. 20 grand opening.
“We will be moving Internet, phones, et cetera, and making sure it’s all working,” City Clerk Marcia Torgerson said.
After city offices move, Atascadero’s successor agency will be tasked in the fall with recommending whether to lease or sell the former 31,436-square-foot city hall building at Colony Square.
The council’s 6 p.m. Aug. 13 meeting is the second in the council’s summer schedule, which calls for meetings to be held once per month instead of the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month to accommodate vacations.
The City Council will resume its regular schedule in September, with its Sept. 10 session slated to be the first council meeting on the fourth floor of the historic City Administration Building.
If you go
The grand opening of the newly rehabilitated City Administration Building is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 20. The celebration will offer tours of the four-story 1917 structure, which has a rich history that includes at one time housing a firing range in the basement, a public library and three private schools. Its re-opening is the capstone of the city's centennial celebration this year, celebrating 100 years as a colony founded by E.G. Lewis.
This story was originally published July 24, 2013 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Atascadero prepares to move city offices back into rotunda building."