Old City Hall gets 'newed' up

by JEN BIUNDO

In 1976, a “rehabilitation” job turned Kyle’s historic city hall into an ostensibly modern space, with the original flooring covered with linoleum, the soaring arched roof dropped to ten feet, and particle board paneling covering the exposed brick walls and massive windows.

That crime against architecture is now being reversed with an $800,000 renovation job to bring the 1912 building back to its original glory.

On Tuesday afternoon, a crowd from the Kyle Area Senior Zone helped city officials break ground on the renovation work, which is expected to be complete in April.

“It’s pretty amazing to think how old it is, and how well it’s stood the test of time,” said Kyle City Manager Tom Mattis.

Though the restoration work has just gotten underway, the city has already used its own staff to clear out the worst sins of the 1970s remodel. The faux paneling has been removed, revealing rosy antique brick walls and towering dormer windows that flood the space with sunlight. The distressed linoleum has been pulled up, and the drop ceiling torn out.

“It’ll be a very attractive building when it’s done, and something we can all be proud of,” Mattis said.

The old city hall will be established as a community center that will primarily be used by the senior citizens’ group. City officials now occupy the recently constructed two story building at Front and Center Street.

The city issued $800,000 in bonds for the city hall renovation, and awarded a $700,000 bid for the work. The remaining $100,000 may go towards work on the square around the former city hall, Mattis said.