Hub City Times

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

logo

Hub City Times

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
BusinessGovernmentLocal
Home›News›Business›Council approves sale of City Hall

Council approves sale of City Hall

By Hub City Times
June 29, 2016
406
0
Share:
Ed Wagner Gordy Earll Chris Jockheck marshfield common council city hall
From left, aldermen Ed Wagner, Gordy Earll, and Chris Jockheck attend Tuesday's meeting of the Marshfield Common Council, where the council approved a deal to sell City Hall, giving City Administrator Steve Barg parameters for resolving the final minor details of the agreement with developer Gorman & Company Inc. (Adam Hocking photo)

Final sticking points of deal to be resolved by city administrator


By Adam Hocking

Editor

MARSHFIELD — After several months of deliberating behind closed doors, the Marshfield Common Council unanimously agreed to sell City Hall to developer Gorman & Company Inc. for $500,000, pending resolution of some final aspects of the deal.

City Administrator Steve Barg was given authority by the council to execute a purchase agreement with Gorman if he is able resolve the final details of the deal, which Barg and Mayor Chris Meyer characterized as mostly minor, within certain parameters.

In its initial presentation to the city in early December of 2015, Gorman said it planned to “convert the existing (City Hall) building into 40 affordable workforce housing units.”

“The addition of individuals and their families (to downtown Marshfield) will bring more dependence upon our existing and future businesses as these families look to meet their daily needs within the area,” said Director of Development Services Jason Angell.

Gorman will allow the city to retain income from cellular towers atop City Hall for a period of 15 years, which could generate about $1.5 million for the city, Meyer said.

In May the city struck a deal to buy Forward Financial Bank’s Sixth Street facility for $2.6 million to serve as a new City Hall. Forward Financial is in the process of building a new headquarters on the north side of Marshfield. Barg and Meyer said renovations to Forward Financial’s Sixth Street facility to prepare the building for city use could cost between $500,000 and $750,000.

The city has also committed to providing $2 million toward the construction of Forward Financial’s new facility and projects it will recoup that investment over roughly nine years through property tax payments.

Barg has said he believes the city will move into Forward Financial’s Sixth Street building in the fall of 2018. Forward Financial, per a development agreement with the city of Marshfield, is to complete construction of its new bank on or before Sept. 30, 2018. Meyer said that the current City Hall would open as housing in either late 2019 or early 2020.

Forward Financial’s Sixth Street building is about 24,000 square feet, according to company president and CEO Bill Sennholz, and City Hall Plaza is about 70,000 square feet. However, much of the current city hall is occupied by commercial tenants as well as county offices. A 2014 study of City Hall indicated that city offices only required about 25,000 square feet for operations.

City Hall also has a long list of needed improvements and maintenance, which the city has not addressed with the knowledge that it would likely be moving. According to the 2014 study, the cost of improving City Hall could be more than $2.6 million in maintenance that had, at that point, not been done.

Between lower costs to operate what will become the new city hall, maintaining the cellular tower revenue, and not having to deal with the current city hall’s extensive maintenance costs, Meyer said he anticipated the city would come out well ahead on this deal financially.

Barg and Meyer treated the $2 million investment in Forward Financial’s new facility as separate from the cost-benefit analysis of moving to a new city hall.

“The reason that has no bearing here is because that money is being repaid by the new taxes they’re (Forward Financial) going to pay on that building, … so the taxpayers never have to give a penny of their money to that,” Meyer said, adding that the city would borrow to finance the $2 million investment. “The money to repay that loan comes from the new revenue they’re creating.”

The future of existing retail spaces and the tennis court inside of City Hall is up to Gorman, city leaders said.

TagsBill Sennholzcity administrator Steve Bargcity halleconomic developmentFeaturedforward financial bankGorman & Company Inc.housingJason AngellMarshfield Common Councilmayor Chris Meyerworkforce housing
Previous Article

Marshfield Post 54 Senior Legion baseball blows ...

Next Article

City eyes new community pool

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Outdoors

    We serve: Pittsville Lions host fishing contest Feb. 5

    February 2, 2017
    By Hub City Times
  • Sports

    Spencer/Columbus rolls past New Glarus/Monticello in WIAA Division 5 Level 1 football playoff

    October 24, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • President of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Jeff Morin is scheduled to speak at the Nov. 6 reception for New Vision Gallery's exhibit "Starting Out," featuring work from university student artists.
    Arts & Entertainment

    New Visions Gallery highlights university student work

    November 2, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Local

    Maple Avenue project update: June 25, 2015

    June 25, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • Marshfield High School freshman Leia Linzmeier hands out a yard sign urging parents not to host underage drinking parties.
    Local

    Students, community, police urge parents not to host underage drinking parties

    April 30, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Marshfield Fire & Rescue
    News

    Car fire on Veterans Parkway

    October 7, 2014
    By Hub City Times

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Hub City Times is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Timeline

  • January 21, 2021

    DNR confirms CWD in Wood County, renews baiting and feeding bans

  • January 20, 2021

    City seeks candidates for ethics board

  • January 19, 2021

    Marshfield Clinic scheduling COVID vaccinations to those 65 and older

  • January 19, 2021

    Wood County deputy and K-9 partner recognized

  • January 18, 2021

    Redistricting in Wisconsin

Find us on Facebook

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels, All Rights Reserved. Designed by MMC Team Awesome
×