Overview
- The Waterfront Towers at 501 West Weber Avenue opened Tuesday, July 7, 2026, with a ribbon cutting and the first City Council meeting held in the new council chambers that seat 123 members of the public.
- The two-tower complex centralizes front-line services like utility billing, building permits, parking citations and fire prevention into a one-stop public counter meant to make it easier to do business with the city.
- Renovation trade-offs drew attention when the public saw a large structural support beam left in the center of the council chamber after city officials said removing it would have added more than $1 million to costs.
- The project began with a 2017 purchase and an initial $25 million estimate that later more than tripled after pandemic delays and contract increases, with some reporting public expenses approaching roughly $100 million during the build-out.
- Hundreds of city employees moving to the waterfront have already brought early increases in foot traffic for nearby businesses, and leaders say the opening is intended to boost downtown investment and restore confidence after a recent grand jury critique of council operations and a spike in homicides earlier this year.