Tempe to unveil upgraded council chambers after $3.2 million renovation

PHOENIX – Tempe is ready to unveil its updated City Council chambers after the completion of an eight-month, $3.2 million renovation.

City officials and others involved in the project, including the architect, will participate in a grand reopening Monday.

The public is invited to an open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with a rededication ceremony set to begin at 4:30 p.m.

The chambers, which sit underground beneath City Hall’s distinctive inverted pyramid, were last updated in 1989. But there hasn’t been a major renovation since the building on Fifth Street just east of Mill Avenue debuted in 1971.

The venue has been redesigned to make it more accessible to people using wheelchairs.

The upgrades also include a new reception area, new public restrooms, improved audio and visual technology and new audience seating.

The East Valley suburb’s council meetings have been held at the Tempe History Museum since the work began July 1.

Board and commission meetings usually held in the council chambers were relocated to the museum and other sites.

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