At Lehi City Hall, two interns work in what was at one time a storage room. The assistant city recorder works in what was the copy room. An employee break room has become an additional office.

Soon, though, the city will have more room for those employees, and 40 to 50 more workers. The City Council has given the go-ahead for a three-story addition to City Hall.

The addition, which will be on the north side of the building, will add 16,025 square feet to City Hall.

The plans designed by Mark Wilson Architects have been on file for some time, having been completed more than two years ago.

Groundbreaking can begin "lickety-split," according to City Administrator Jamie Davidson.

City Hall has been overcrowded for several years and administrators have grappled with having enough staff to serve the city's growth.

According to the U.S. Census, the city's population in 2000 was 19,028. In 2006, it was estimated to be 36,021.

"It's really hard to conduct business from day to day," said Ron Foggin, assistant city administrator. "You're left wondering, where do we put these peoplefi"

Funding for the $1 million addition project is already in place. Plans include a basement, a main floor and a second floor with an elevator. There will be a conference room, office space and storage.

Connecting the old building to the addition won't be difficult, Foggin said.

"This building was actually designed for an addition," Foggin said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B5.