Newberg City Hall Reopening in December

NEWBERG, Ore. — After nearly a year-long closure due to a freeze-related flood, City of Newberg staff began moving back into City Hall last week.

“Some of us have been at home, some have been working from coffee shops, and others have been stationed at other public service buildings like the water treatment facility,” said Rachel Thomas, Newberg’s city recorder. “We’re ready to come back to the office.” 

On Jan. 15, 2024, around 11 a.m., city prosecutor Jeanne Schuback entered City Hall and discovered water spraying from the second-floor ceiling. Public Works maintenance staff responded quickly, stopping the flow caused by a burst fire suppression pipe. The pipe ruptured under pressure from frozen water during a cold snap that morning, when temperatures reached a low of 19°F, according to Weather Underground.

Read: Newberg City Hall Floods, Relocates

City operations paused for one day while staff relocated to working from home, the public safety building, or the water treatment plant.

“It was a positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Thomas said. “We were already equipped to operate as a distributed workforce.”

After the initial disruption, staff focused on finding silver linings. One advantage: City Hall is a historic building that required updates.

Built in 1913 after a fire destroyed the previous structure, City Hall has served various roles, including housing the fire department, police department, jail, rentable office spaces, and community meeting rooms, according to the city’s website. Another fire in 1993 led to its closure until the city purchased and reopened the building at 414 E. First St. in 2000.

“It’s an old building that needed updates,” Thomas said. “While we would have preferred to address them on our own timeline, it was inevitable.”

Repairs and updates were primarily funded through insurance, with upgrades paid for via the city’s maintenance budget. Thomas said because they were required to operate within an existing budget, saving money was a top priority. Any furniture that was not damaged or was salvageable is back in the building, and most new furniture was purchased second hand.

“We took what would have been an estimated $1.2 million project to replace all the damaged furniture, and spent $14,000,” Thomas said.

Much of the work involved repairing flood damage, along with updating flooring and paint.

The city also prioritized improving the reception area, constructing partitions and purchasing new chairs. However, the utility billing window, which relocated to the Newberg Public Safety Building at 401 E. Third St., will remain there indefinitely.

“We want to be more friendly and welcoming,” Thomas said. “This goal aligns with the city council’s priorities, and the rebuild allowed us to make meaningful changes to achieve it.”

City staff are expected to resume work in the building in early December. An open house is planned during Downtown Newberg’s First Friday event on Feb. 7, 2025.

As for the pipe that caused the flooding? It has been replaced with a stronger, insulated alternative to prevent future issues.

Correction 11/26/24 at 7:16 a.m.: the previous version incorrectly stated that the renovation was paid for via the city’s facilities budget. It was primarily paid for by insurance, with upgrades paid for by the city’s maintenance budget. Newsberg regrets the error.