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 east of the existing City Hall for $1.3 million.
But 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.
Some of that cost could be for a new HVAC system for the building.
Councilman Bruce Buhler says replacing the entire system might not be necessary.
And there’s been an idea floated to gut the basement of the bank building and turn it into a large, new city council chambers that would include ample space for overflow seating.
Councilman Ried Holien, speaking from the existing council chambers Monday night, said that too might not be necessary.
The council postponed a vote on whether to award a design contract to TSP Incorporated for renovating the bank building.
The issue will be addressed by the council again later this month.
(Mike Tanner, KWAT, contributed this report.)
