Lansing city staff are moving into the new City Hall building ahead of its grand opening at the end of the month.
A celebration has been scheduled for November 30 at 10 a.m. It will include sealing a time capsule documenting the city as it stands and current cultural artifacts.
Construction on the building at the corner of Grand Avenue and Lenawee Street started in April of 2025.
The current City Hall across from State Capitol opened in the late 1950s and has needed extensive repairs for years.
Instead of pursuing renovations, the city under Mayor Andy Schor opted to select a new site in 2024, using a $40 million state grant for the project. The City Council has also approved the sale of the current building to Beitler Real Estate Services of Chicago for $2.78 million to transform the space into a hotel.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor says the current City Hall has a great location, but he's excited for the move.
"It'll always have a place in my heart, but I will not miss all the things that continue to break and the cost to fix all the things that continue to break," he joked. "I’m sitting here in my office right now, and it's like 60 degrees, and I'm freezing."
He touts the new building as a "one-stop shop" with free parking out front and more accessibility for residents.
"It's a lot more functional in the 21st century than the 1950s building was, and it's a lot more user-friendly."
At some point before the grand opening, there will likely be a two-day closure at the current City Hall, but city services including police, fire and the 311 call center will remain available.
Those dates have not been announced yet.
This is the first of two big moves the city is making. In January, the Lansing Police Department and the 54A District Court will transition into a new Public Safety Complex on South Washington Avenue.