By Kris Leonhardt

MARSHFIELD – During the March 19 meeting of the Marshfield Board of Public Works, city leaders voted to award the reconstruction project on the former Forward Financial building to Eagle Construction of Wisconsin Rapids.

The building, located at 207 W. Sixth St, will become Marshfield’s new city hall late this summer.

Though Eagle Construction was the lowest of nine companies bidding on the project, it still came in at approximately $105,000 over the city’s $600,000 budget for the project.

“So to make up the shortfall, we’ve worked closely with our architect, Design Unlimited, and the low bidder to identify some cost savings to help meet that project budget, and we are proposing several reductions that will not impact the operations of the city hall building,” Public Works Director Dan Knoeck explained.

Even after those cuts, the project remains $22,000 over budget, which Knoeck said could be obtained through a fund balance in the Public Facilities Capital Project Fund.

“That fund has some undesignated fund balance that has accumulated from some city hall projects over the years that have come in under budget and a few projects that have been put on hold pending the sale of (the current City Hall) building,” Knoeck said.

A Marshfield company, Don Nikolai Construction was the second lowest bidder on the project.

The recommendation will now go to the Marshfield Common Council on March 27 for final approval.