by CYNDY SLOVAK-BARTON
Kyle Area Senior Zone officer Adell Hurst, with scissors, and Kyle Mayor Lucy Johnson are joined by local residents for the official re-dedication of the old Kyle City Hall. Hundreds celebrated the lease transfer of the facility from the city to the senior citizens’ group. (photos by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
Audible “oohs” and “aahs” could be heard as Kyle area residents got the first look at the remodeling job on the old Kyle City Hall, with the grand opening on Saturday afternoon.
Gone are the old kitchen and bathrooms on the north side of the building. The old white ceiling tiles and 1970s wood paneling has been taken down, and soaring rafters show off the old brick.
It was a job well done, as most residents agreed. The $800,000 renovation brought the city hall back to its old glory.
Officially, a special use transfer of the facility from the city to the Kyle Area Senior Zone was signed. Officers of KASZ, including Adell Hurst who spearheaded the renovation, thanked the city. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Kyle Mayor Lucy Johnson, Rep. Patrick Rose, Commissioner Jeff Barton and other dignitaries mingled with the crowd.
The original City Hall was constructed in 1912 and was remodeled for the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, before the current renovation.
The historic City Hall has was first built in 1912, and was remodeled the first time for the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. In recent years, the downstairs section of the building was the scene for council meetings, senior citizens’ games and Meals on Wheels distribution.
As the city staff grew to encompass the needs of growing Kyle, a new City Hall was built at the corner of Front and Center streets, on the site of the old BonTon Grocery Store. The old City Hall will be used primarily for KASZ, but the facility can also be rented by local residents.
