Two architectural projects in Center City are finalists for the 2025 President’s Awards Program sponsored by Texas Downtown. The finalists were recently announced in Austin. For more than 30 years, the awards program has recognized outstanding projects, places, and people of downtowns across the state.
Center City of Amarillo nominated two downtown projects to compete for the honors.
“Center City is proud to announce that the new Amarillo City Hall in the historic Amarillo Hardware Building is a finalist for the Best Restoration Award. The new Potter County Justice Building is a finalist for Best New Construction,” said Beth Duke, Center City Executive Director.
The new Amarillo City Hall, which was originally Amarillo Hardware Company, is now a finalist in the competition for Best Restoration in 2025 President’s Awards Program sponsored by Texas Downtown. People can vote for both buildings for the people’s choice award by liking the photos on the Texas Downtown Facebook page.
Winners will be announced at the Texas Downtown Association Conference in Waco in November. As finalists, the Amarillo City Hall and the new Potter County Justice Building are eligible for the People’s Choice award.
“You can vote for People’s Choice at the Texas Downtown Facebook page by liking the photo. Look for both of these great projects on the Texas Downtown Facebook,” Duke said.
Architects for the new City Hall, Shiela Sims at Sims+ Architects and her team, said the team’s mantra was ”Respect – not restore.”
New Potter County Justice Center across from history
According to a narrative provided by Duke, “A new Potter County Justice Center is now a reality across the street from the historic 1932 Potter County Courthouse. While the historic Potter County Courthouse remains in use for some county offices, the new Potter County Justice Center is becoming a landmark in downtown Amarillo.”
The Potter County Justice Center is a finalist for Best New Construction in the 2025 President’s Awards Program, sponsored by Texas Downtown. People can vote for the building for the people’s choice award by going to the Texas Downtown page on Facebook and liking the photo.
The historic Potter County Courthouse was restored through the Texas Historical Commission’s Courthouse Preservation Program and won a Texas Downtown Association award for Best Restoration in 2013.
Potter County built the new courts building east of the courthouse 35 years ago. In 2018, the Potter County Commission began planning for a new building. As maintenance costs in the existing building kept rising, the county sought bids in 2019, before anyone ever heard of a pandemic. The fact that the Justice Center became a reality despite COVID is a success story in itself.
HOK Group Inc. provided the architectural design, with construction by Adolfson & Peterson Construction.
The new building’s exterior uses clay tiles complementary to the exterior of the historic courthouse across the street. Vertical lines create dramatic impact while framing large windows for natural light. Potter County updated work areas with new technology, and LEED and energy saving practices lowered the maintenance costs. Rooms have motion detectors for lighting, so unused areas stay dark. Wide hallways with seating face windows, making waiting areas more comfortable. A walkout balcony gives workers an outdoor break area.
Amarillo City Hall, formerly Amarillo Hardware Company
When Amarillo needed to replace City Hall, the city looked across the street to the long-vacant Amarillo Hardware building. Staff had outgrown its 1966 City Hall, which needed extensive repairs.
The Amarillo Hardware building was built in 1938. Amarillo Hardware once supplied hardware, lumber, building supplies, furniture, and appliances to retailers in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, and Colorado. The building was empty for four decades, according to Duke.
The city of Amarillo selected Sims + Architects to give the building a new life as the Amarillo City Hall. President Sheila Sims, AIA, is a registered architect in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. She is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and a member of the Texas Society of Architects. The team included Jon Gamel, AIA, and Kelli Henson, a registered interior designer.
The style of the former Amarillo Hardware Company is considered Art Deco. The original building was designed by Guy Carlander, the architect who designed Amarillo’s most historic buildings and a National Register District. The restoration included cleaning the building exterior, which brought out the Art Deco details in the concrete building. The open spaces of the warehouse allowed the team to create areas designed to accommodate workplaces for 50 years. The team interviewed and observed each city department to learn how they work and what they needed. The public lobby and City Council chambers are open and welcoming.
“Center City competes in the 50,000 population and over category. These cities all entered great projects. We are so excited that both of our nominated projects are finalists,” Duke said.
Center City is a Texas Main Street City and a member of Texas Downtown. For more information, contact Duke at Center City at 806-372-6744.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo City Hall, Potter County Justice Building award finalists