Officials from the City of Pullman and Design West Architects listened to feedback from citizens last week regarding plans for a new city hall and recreation center.

Concerns from attendees of the meeting ranged from the placement of an elevator in the building, which City Supervisor Adam Lincoln said the City of Pullman purchased from Encounter Ministries for $3.5 million, to parking and accessibility for the elderly.

“I would guess that seniors and soon-to-be seniors are probably the majority of the actual voters,” Pullman Ward 3 council member Brandon Chapman said. “I would certainly love to see that those desires that they have be taken care of.”

Many community members, as well as Design West’s Ned Warnick, believe the new senior center could attract people from surrounding communities to Pullman.

The new city hall, which Pullman voters passed in February, will house all of the services in the current city hall building, including the senior center. The new complex will also house a recreation center for community programs.

The recreation center will be built in the area currently used as a gymnasium in the Encounter Ministries building, which Warnick said will mostly stay the same.

As for the elevator, a shaft already exists in the building. However, if a third story is created in the main city hall building the elevator may not serve this top floor, requiring the city to replicate the services on an elevator accessible level.

When it comes to layout for the various departments housed in city hall, Warnick said planners want to layout the building in a wagon-wheel style design, where people can begin at a center area and move out towards the different departments.

One concern raised with the layout of different city departments within the building as it sits now is openness between rooms.

“I feel like if everyone is sectioned off like that, how is that good for flow,” a community member said.

Overall, the renovation of the old Encounter Ministries building for the new city hall and recreation center areas adds up to $8.3 million of the $10 million bond approved in February as City of Pullman Proposition No. 1, Lincoln said.