Arizona City is Using Insurance Money to Build Itself a New City Hall

The city of Bisbee, Ariz. is using insurance money to start rebuilding the interior of its city hall after it was gutted by fire, officials said.

DC Restoration, a national firm based in Mesa, has begun tearing down the interior of the three-story building constructed in 1909, the Sierra Vista Herald reported Tuesday.

The city hall was badly damaged in an Oct. 11 fire that started on the second floor of the historic building, whose thick concrete walls are still intact. Investigators did not find evidence of arson or other criminal activity.

Mayor David Smith said the city is eligible for insurance money to cover $1.8 million in building damage and an additional $50,000 worth of property and records that were lost or damaged in the fire.

DC Restoration will start renovation work once workers have removed all the debris.

“The walls are 30-inch poured concrete, so once the inside has been demolished, we will have an outside shell and then we will start to build a new interior,” Smith said.

Bisbee’s municipal services have been relocated to the Cochise County government complex during the work.

The project is on an 18-month schedule, and the mayor hopes the restored city hall will be completed by April 2019.