City of Hastings agrees on lease at Landmark Center, city hall employees set to move

HASTINGS, Neb. — Workers at city hall in Hastings will be relocating in the coming months.

The city agreed on a lease for office space at the Landmark Center at W 2nd St. and N. Marian Rd. on Thursday. The move comes after a mold study found found levels of mold in the air at city hall that exceed the acceptable limit for general occupancy. After the study was completed, city administrator Shawn Metcalf said moving employees out was the right thing to do.

“In my mind that’s not acceptable at all. Employees at city hall shouldn’t have to feel like they have to question if they have to take allergy pills to be working here," Metcalf said in March. "That shouldn’t be criteria of their job. No one should be in those conditions.”

A news release says the new city offices will span 3,617 square feet in the southeast corner of the building. The contract starts once the landlord makes improvements to the space, which should be done within 60 days. The city staff will move in within 60 days of the contract signing.

The lease is for $48,840 each year paid in monthly installments. City leaders anticipated costs associated with problems at city hall and have enough money built into the budget to pay for the lease.

The new workspace is for the 16 employees in the administration and finance departments plus an office for the mayor. Development Services employees are relocating to offices at the city-owned building at 3505 Yost Ave.

As city workers plan to move, a committee of employees and citizens are discussing what to do with city hall. The committee is reviewing input gathered at townhall meetings and through an online survey to make a recommendation to the city council. Options include a permanent move away from city hall or renovating the building.