Home in Brantford's New City Hall

The Economic Development and Tourism Department is now at home in Brantford’s new City Hall. The move brings us together with many other City departments under one roof at the beautifully renovated historical building at 58 Dalhousie in downtown Brantford. This modern space enables staff to more efficiently work, connect, and collaborate together.

In 2014, the City began developing a new Accommodations Strategy that included a comprehensive review of the City’s administrative offices, buildings and projected space requirements over the next 30 years. With a focus on improving economic efficiencies and customer service, the assessments identified a need to consolidate City services in order to save on long-term operating expenses and make accessing City services from a central location easier for residents.

Following a five-year process involving public engagement, comprehensive studies, planning, design, and interior reconstruction, the City announced that the new Brantford City Hall located at 58 Dalhousie Street in downtown Brantford opened to the public on August 16, 2021. Among the changes, residents can expect to experience a more seamless delivery of City services through easier and more convenient access in one central location.

On September 18, Mayor Kevin Davis, along with members of City Council, staff and the community celebrated the Grand Opening of the new City Hall. The celebrations featured something for everyone including a free jazz concert at Harmony Square, fun giveaways for the kids, Harmony Squirrel handing out customized cookies, world record stilt walker Doug the Great, guided tours through City Hall and more, with all COVID-19 safety protocols in place and observed.

The official ceremony included remarks from City of Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis and Chief Administrative Office Brian Hutchings as well as a ribbon cutting followed by a flag raising in Harmony Square.

Quick Facts

• The most recent update to the City’s Accommodation Strategy approved by City Council in September 2020 forecasts a savings of $21.57 million in the City’s 10-year Capital Plan and $1.12 million in annual operating budget savings. The update also reflects new business models that have come into effect since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The centralized location now houses staff who previously occupied six decentralized corporate administrative facilities including 100 Wellington Square, 84 Market St., 1 Market Square, 180 Greenwich St., 1-3 Sherwood Drive, and 399 Wayne Gretzky Parkway.
• Consistent with the City’s Corporate Energy Management Plan, renovations include green, high efficiency Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) elements throughout the building.
• By reducing the City’s facility footprint, over the next three-year period staff estimate that the City will meet 52 per cent of the Corporate Energy Management Plan’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.
• Consistent with the City’s commitment to inclusivity, the building has been renovated to ensure it is fully accessible by all members of the community.
• The renovated building features a fully accessible and significantly larger Council Chambers with more seating for the public.
• For the public’s convenience when visiting the new City Hall in person, there are approximately 50 on-street parking spaces with varying time limits near 58 Dalhousie Street (19 surround the new City Hall, including two accessible spaces). Additional parking is available in Lot #3 on Darling Street or at the Market Centre Parkade (59 Icomm Drive)