Del Martian demolition party

Del Mar residents and government officials gathered in front of city hall on Saturday morning (June 11) to celebrate the impending demolition of the government headquarters.

Originally incorporated in 1959, Del Mar purchased its current city-hall building in 1970 and moved in 1975. The site, which had formerly operated as a school, was intended as a temporary facility while a permanent government seat was planned.

Instead, it took 40 years for the city to settle on a redesign of the site, which was selected by residents in an online poll conducted last year. The poll itself, which city councilmembers initially referred to as an "advisory election," sparked controversy and a lawsuit over the validity of online voting.

Both the primary building and city annex (a prefabricated building at the rear of the site) were cited as being in poor condition and suffering from hazards even when the city took possession in the ’70s — one wing has been used primarily for storage, seen as unfit for office space.

"We have been living with water leaks, environmental hazards, no indoor bathrooms, and space inadequate for conducting business for years," deputy mayor Terry Sinnott told attendees of the demolition party before lining up with other city officials to swing a sledgehammer at the building's brick façade.

Government functions as of last week were relocated to 2010 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, where they will remain until the original site on Camino Del Mar is redeveloped. Completion of the project is expected sometime in the fall of 2017.