Staff report
Published Sept. 16, 2009

The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for North Charleston’s new City Hall is slated for 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday at 2500 City Hall Lane.

Except for public works, all departments have been consolidated into the new building. The public is invited to tour the offices, including the One-Stop Shop.

The One-Stop Shop contains the finance, building, planning and zoning departments, which are accessible from customer service windows. Residents can obtain permits and business licenses from this one location.

In addition, the city’s art collection will be on display in the atrium area of the three floors.

The city has been at work during the past year preparing the $37.5 million building, which was constructed as speculative office space at the site of the former Charles Towne Square mall.

The old city hall dates to 1979. At that time, about 150 employees ran the newly incorporated city of 21,000 residents. Now, the city has more than 1,000 employees and about 91,400 residents, making it the third-largest city in South Carolina.