Highland City Hall still closed due to water damage. For exactly how long remains murky

The restoration of Highland’s city hall will take much longer and involve more work than originally expected.

Highland City Hall suffered major damage when a pipe burst in late December during a bad cold snap. The HVAC system pulled in fresh air too close to overhead plumbing, and the unusual cold was too much for the building’s systems. City leaders discovered the damage Dec. 24 and water was immediately turned off, but the damage was already significant.

City Manager Chris Conrad said complications have arisen with how some previous remodels have been done, and because there were so many calls for service that week, the building sat wet for nine days before a response company could get in with industrial dryers and dehumidifiers.

Conrad said it has “created a situation where we basically have to demo the interior of the entire east half of the building.”

Conrad and city leaders are working with the city’s insurance company to resolve various issues and move toward rebuilding. Since the work has to be done anyway, Conrad said they’re taking the opportunity for more changes.

“The council has directed that we look at making some modifications to the interior and fix some known issues that existed prior to the pipes bursting,” Conrad said. “So we are in the process of making those changes now.”

Conrad said he expects there will be a bid letting open by late February for bids on reconstruction.

“I don’t want to speculate on a time frame until we get those bids back,” he said.

The cost estimate of the repairs after insurance was not yet available.

Until further notice, city hall functions will be performed out of the community room at the new Highland Public Safety Building, and customer service for the Highland Communications Service has been moved to its operations building on Woodcrest Drive.

People can still reach city leaders by calling the regular number at 618-654-9891 and the after-hours drop box for utility payments is still available.

City council meetings continue to be held at the Highland Senior Center on Woodcrest Drive, and will probably be there at least through June, Conrad said.

“So far that is working out fine,” he said.