Costs of moving Watertown City Hall to new downtown building could be an expensive proposition  (Audio)

January 6, 2021
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–The transition into a new Watertown City Hall may or may not take place this year.

The city council late last year approved an agreement to buy the Wells Fargo Bank building just west of the existing City Hall for $1.3 million.

Now there’s talk that remodeling the interior of the building and the property it sits on to make it “work” as a City Hall could cost an additional $2.3 million.

Depending on what the council decides, some of those costs could involve the installation of an entirely new HVAC system for the building.

Councilman Bruce Buhler said at Monday night’s meeting that replacing the entire system might not be necessary…

There has also been talk of gutting the basement of the bank building and turning it into a large, new city council chambers that would have ample room for overflow seating.

But Councilman Ried Holien, speaking from the existing council chambers, said that too might not be necessary…

The council on Monday night postponed a vote on whether to award a design contract to TSP Incorporated for renovating the bank building, so no decisions beyond the purchase of the property have been made.

The issue will be addressed by the council again later this month.