POULSBO — The final site map has been drawn. The elevations — what the buildings will look like — have been sketched out.

The place even has a proposed name: the Old City Hall Apartments.

Now, all that remains is for the City of Poulsbo to demolish the old city hall at 19050 Jensen Way, and construction will begin on the new apartments and retail spaces on the site.

Getting past the rainy season is a factor, lest the basement become a pool. Jim Laughlin of Blue North Development, the project developer, said construction could begin “sometime in early 2016 … If we start in January, it would be nice to open in September/October.”

Mayor Becky Erickson said of the project, “It is very, very close.”

The old city hall was Poulsbo’s first, built in 1939 or 1940, according to historian Judy Driscoll of the Poulsbo Historical Society. Prior to that, the City Council met at the business office or store of whomever was mayor.

The building was expanded in 1956, according to the county assessor’s database. Ultimately, the site housed the fire station, municipal court, and some county offices. In 1969, a fountain was dedicated next to the front steps in honor of civic booster Ida Knudson (1898-1967), described in the book “Spirit of Poulsbo” as “a one-woman clearing house of caring for the community.” Driscoll said a plaque on the fountain will be saved for display elsewhere.

The city moved to the new City Hall in November 2010, and the civic life at 19050 Jensen Way ended after a 70-year run.

When Blue North takes ownership, the property will return to the tax rolls, meaning some additional property tax revenue for local government. The site’s assessed valuation in 2014 was $1.25 million, but property taxes are not collected on publicly owned property.

The apartments are expected to fill a growing need in the community.

“I just saw a report generated by Windermere Real Estate that shows Poulsbo has less available housing than anywhere in Kitsap County,” Erickson said. “[Rents] are going up dramatically,” which she said would be eased by the availability of more apartments. “If you increase supply, prices start to go down a bit,” she said.

The plan has been revised to “satisf[y] the need for a diverse mix of housing sizes,” Laughlin said. Twenty-two one-bedroom apartments have been added to the unit mix, along with the 35 studio apartments already in the plan. Unit sizes will range from 784 square feet for one-bedroom apartments to 390-450 square feet for studios. Some apartments will have water views, Laughlin said.

Vehicle access and parking also have been reconfigured. Access to the complex has been shifted from Jensen Way to an easement on the north side of the property, the way that leads to the King Olav parking lot. Two buildings will flank a landscaped terrace. Parking will be underground. Laughlin hopes one of the retail tenants will be “a nice restaurant.”

The revised site plan must undergo formal review by the City of Poulsbo. Blue North is under contract with the city to buy the site for $1.2 million, but one of the conditions is that the city will demolish the old city hall and clear the site. “When we get to a certain point where we know we will get a permit, then the city will tear the old building down and we’ll have a permit to begin (new construction),” Laughlin said.

Laughlin estimated the project cost at $5 million, not including the $1.2 million purchase cost.

The redeveloped site will be an upgrade from midcentury mish-mash to what Laughlin calls “modern Northwest,” with “a fair amount of glass and wood accents.”

The project is designed by the Bainbridge-based firm of Cutler Anderson Architects, whose local projects include the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Education Center, Bainbridge, 1992; Wharfside Complex, Bainbridge, 1998; Grace Episcopal Church, Bainbridge, 2003; Port Gamble S’Klallam House of Knowledge, Little Boston, 2004.

Of the Old City Hall Apartments, Laughlin said, “We expect it to be the nicest building in Poulsbo. We do.”

The apartments will be within walking distance of the waterfront as well as downtown’s cultural and culinary venues, among them a historical museum; maritime museum; stage theater; art galleries; a market and restaurants with foods from various cultures; book stores and coffee shops that host artists, authors and poets; breweries; and an aquarium and marine science center.

Blue North Development is maintaining a list of prospective renters. Email bluenorthdev@gmail.com or go to www.bluenorthdevelopment.com.