Revamped Saint John City Hall Opens Monday

A months-long multimillion-dollar renovation project at Saint John City Hall is now complete.

Monday marked the opening of the city’s new customer service centre on the ground floor.

“The delivery of quality customer service is a priority for the City and a great source of pride for our employees,” said Lisa Caissie, the city’s communications manager, in a statement.

“As you are welcomed into the newly renovated Customer Service Centre, and City Hall space, you will experience the friendly nature and support our city is well known for.”

Anyone wishing to access offices and meeting areas within City Hall must register with the customer service centre.

You can find it through a new elevator in the Shoppes of City Hall or through the front street-level entrance at the City Hall Plaza.

The new service centre is part of a larger project which saw City Hall offices consolidated onto the first four floors and upgrades to the council chambers.

The smaller footprint in the 16-storey building also means savings for taxpayers — to the tune of more than $10 million over the 15-year lease.

The newly-renovated space is the first major upgrade to City Hall since 1971 when it first took occupancy in 15 Market Square.

Keith Brideau, Dr. David Elias and Alex Elias purchased the City Hall building in late 2018 for $3 million.

In addition to the City Hall upgrades, the trio said they also plan to make improvements to the rest of the building.

During an interview following the sale, Brideau said consolidating City Hall operations would free up 80,000 to 100,000 square feet, which they hope to eventually fill with high-quality tenants.