The soon-to-be-renovated 217 Fifth St building will be the new home to GP&L and other city departments.

 
Most Garland residents are now probably aware of the new multi-use building that Trammell Crow will be constructing across from the Granville Arts Center and they have probably noticed the work underway on the community college parcel, but most are probably unaware that the old Police and Courts Bldg that is across from City Hall and across from the Trammell Crow project that is also slated for new uses and a new design. The building will be renamed the Utility Services Bldg and will house GP&L, customer service walk-ins, the tax department, the 3-1-1 call center, and a community multi-purpose room.
 

Most of the 60,000-square-foot building will be reskinned, a new stairway and elevators will be added, new sections will be added, and a 1200-square-foot retail space will face Fifth St. The retail space is critical to help attract and move pedestrians from the DART station and the 5th Street Crossing retail area toward the Downtown square.
 
Special emphasis will be given to energy efficiency in the new building: awnings to reduce direct sunlight, few windows to the late afternoon sun, but other areas will be opened to allow natural light to offset the need for artificial light.
 
Give yourself a quick tour around the building and a birds-eye view to the floor plans by clicking the slide presentation link on the right.
 

Click for slide presentation.

Looking several blocks away at the current Customer Service Drive Through, employees are jammed together and it must be frustrating for customers forced to wait in long lines. A new Customer Service Drive Through facility will be constructed on Glenbrook, between Austin and State, about a block from the present facilities.
 
It will feature four lanes, doubling the current capacity. The new building will set new architectural standards for the area. While only one-story, the streetside façade will command attention. Once more, awnings will help reduce energy costs and set a distinctive tone to the project.