A little over a year after breaking ground on the project in March 2009, Kenmore officials plan an open house for the city’s new home on 68th Avenue Northeast between Northeast 181st and Northeast 182nd streets.

Mayor David Baker said the open house for Kenmore’s new City Hall will take place May 8, though he did not have exact times.

A formal ribbon cutting is set for May 22. Officials tentatively plan to move into the building May 15 and be open for business May 17.

Including land costs, the project carries a price tag of $17.5 million. The city awarded a $7.8 million construction contract for the project in early March 2009.

All in all, according to the city Web site, the new building includes approximately 21,600 square feet and contains space for City Council and other community meetings.

Initial plans also called for some 39 underground and 22 surface parking spaces, as well as other outdoor amenities such as a temporary skate park, a rain garden and other areas for outdoor activities.

Last year, when plans were formalized, Baker talked of including up to 400 square feet of solar panels on the building that could provide as much as 2.5-percent of the hall’s overall electrical power. A green roof was planned to retain storm water.

The City Hall opening means Kenmore government shortly again will have a permanent home. Largely in order to help retain a U.S. Post Office in the city, officials have played a bit of musical buildings with some local institutions.

Since late last year, city officials have been headquartered on the second floor of the Schniztelbank building on Northeast Bothell Way. As for the post office, it is expected to move across the road from its current location at 6531 N.E. 181st St., into the now vacant former Kenmore city hall.

Postal officials could not be reached for comment in time for deadline for this issue, but the old city hall is undergoing a transformation into a new post office.

Eventually taking the place of the former post office will be a new branch of the King County Library System. Library officials have said they hope to hold a groundbreaking for the new branch as soon as the post office vacates its current location with an opening expected about a year later.