Could Watertown re-bid city hall remodeling project downtown?  (Audio)

March 21, 2023
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–Earlier this month, Watertown city officials rolled out a plan to build a new city hall on Highway 20, right next door to where a new Street Department headquarters will be built.

It’s an idea that is only conceptual at this point, as the city explores its options after buying the Wells Fargo Bank building downtown (pictured) for $1.3 million, only to discover the cost of remodeling it into a new city hall was way too expensive.

City Manager Amanda Mack says there’ll be more opportunities for the public to weigh in on where they’d like to see a new city hall located….

She says the city could choose to re-bid the remodeling again to see if the numbers come in any differently….

There’s no guarantee the bids will be any lower than the first one. In fact, they could be higher…

The cost of a new Street Department building and City Hall on Highway 20 is estimated at just under $28 million.