COLUMBUS - A trip to the city offices in Columbus looks a lot different now than it ever has before.

The new Columbus Community Building is open to the public. The 75,000-square-foot facility houses the city offices, public library, and the Columbus Arts Council, all of whom used to call their homes in separate buildings.

City leaders gave the public a first look at the new digs last week, with over 1,000 touring the building following a ribbon-cutting.

"With all the things we do in city government, a lot of times I'll have someone say something to me - usually not as nicely as you'd like," jokes Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley. "But I've had people stop me at the grocery store over the last week or two and say 'Good job.' 'That's neat. Nice building.' I really have! I think this has struck a nerve with a lot of people."

Ironically, the city's success in getting this facility built stemmed from a failure. After a public bond issue for a new public library failed in 2017, the city had to go back to the drawing board, and back to its residents to see exactly what they wanted to get done.

"We just listened," says City Administrator Tara Vasicek. "We put together a package of what was exactly what the community was telling us they would support, and it passed in the general election of 2020. The rest is history."

"It's really a testament to the people," Mayor Bulkley says. "They voted and gave approval to this to allow us to bring this facility to them. It's theirs. This is their facility."

The new community building dwarfs the old city hall, which will soon be taken down to make way for a playground and additional parking.

The last piece to the puzzle is the new children's museum, which the city says they hope to have ready by this October. 

"We're excited, but I feel like we're just at the beginning of it," Vasicek says. "The positives to come are going to be huge."