Watertown City Council rejects only offer to buy former Wells Fargo Bank building (Audio)

October 16, 2023
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–The city of Watertown, which owns the vacant former Wells Fargo Bank building at 20 North Maple, declared it surplus property a few months ago in an attempt to sell it to an interested buyer.

But much like their plans to turn the building into a new City Hall (depicted), plans to sell it, at least for now, have failed.

They got just one bid from someone wanting to buy it, but that bid was less than half the appraised value of $1.3 million, so the city council on Monday night rejected the bid unanimously.

City Manager Amanda Mack says it might be the result of bad timing….

Even after rejecting the bid, the building remains surplus property, with no clear direction at this time on where a new City Hall might go.