A new home will soon be in the works for one of Harrisonburg’s quickest growing departments, and the community is invited to come out and celebrate the occasion.
Harrisonburg Public Works will welcome the community to a special event Thursday, June 1, at 11:00am, as the City moves forward on construction of its new Public Works administration building at 320 E. Mosby Road. The event will include remarks from City leadership, displays about the new facility, and the ceremonial start of work on the important new building.
This facility will allow all Public Works operational and administrative staff to be under one roof, which will encourage and support collaboration among the department’s many divisions and provide a new updated layout for staff that is environmentally and workspace friendly. In addition to being the new home for Harrisonburg Public Works, the facility will provide a much-needed training classroom for the Harrisonburg Fire Department and provide a dedicated sub-station with equipment storage areas for the Harrisonburg Police Department.
The City commissioned a feasibility study in 2019 to determine if the current Public Works offices should be renovated or if new construction was the most appropriate approach. That study determined that, due to flood plain impacts and age of the existing structure, new construction was the most appropriate approach. City Council approved a new capital project for the construction of a new Public Works Building in 2022, and later that year the City entered a design/build contract with Harman Construction for the new Public Works Building.
The current Public Works office was originally constructed in the 1950s and has been the home to Harrisonburg Electric Commission, Harrisonburg Public Utilities, and Harrisonburg Central Stores over the years. The building has experienced many renovations and changes since then, and during this time Harrisonburg Public Works grew from being simply the Street Department to including eight different divisions ranging from Sanitation/Solid Waste to Sustainability/Stormwater Management.
The 23,785-square-foot building will include:
- Space for Public Works operational and administrative staff
- New Harrisonburg Fire Department training classroom with a 140-person capacity
- New Harrisonburg Police Department sub-station with an equipment garage
- Over 100 kilowatts of solar panels with 100 percent backup power
- Four electric vehicle charging stations for City fleet vehicle use
Additionally, the building is designed to meet Virginia Energy Conservation and Environmental Standards (VEES) program requirements for building energy efficiency.
More information about the project will be available on the City’s website as construction progresses. Questions may be directed to publicworks@harrisonburgva.gov or 540-434-5928.