Kitchener City Hall celebrates 25th anniversary
Posted Sep 14, 2018 07:57:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Kitchener City Hall first opened its doors 25 years ago!
To mark the major milestone, the city is inviting the community to a celebration on Monday – 25 years to the day City Hall first opened.
Live musical performances, guests speakers, and tours of special locations are on tap for the celebration.
Former Kitchener mayor Carl Zehr says one of his favourite parts about city hall is its beautiful architecture.
He says it is full of reminders on how to connect with people in subtle ways.
“One of the little known things is that the green wall runs all the way from Duke Street through the building, right through to King Street… that's in line with Gaukel Street, that takes you down to Victoria Park,” he says.
Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, former Mayor Carl Zehr, and Kitchener City Hall architect, Bruce Kuwabara are all expected to speak and share their stories.
“The opening of a new city hall in 1993, after 20 years in a leased building, was an exciting time for both employees and the community,” says Mayor Berry Vrbanovic in a press release.
“As someone who was an employee back then, I remember the excitement of the construction period and especially move-in week! More importantly though, I remember the immense pride our community felt for this new facility – not just the seat of local government but a community gathering place which would come to welcome tens of thousands of residents and visitors to everything from festival openings to skating and weddings to memorials.”
A welcoming ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m., a community photo will take place on Carl Zehr Square around 1:15-1:30 p.m., and architecture/design tours arranged at 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
For more details visit the City of Kitchener website.
