STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - The city hall in Stevens Point is set to relocate. The existing building, which also contains Portage County offices, requires repairs. In an effort to reduce expenses, officials have chosen to transfer the city's staff to a different location.
It is crucial that this change is taking place, not only to distinguish the county and city's governmental entities, but also to allow each one its own space to function.
"So, you know, the clerk's office wouldn't be as near as they'd like to be to the treasurer's office, for instance. Engineering was located on a different floor," Mayor Mike Wiza explained.
On Monday evening, the City Council was given two choices: renovate the building they are relocating to, or demolish it and construct a new one on the same site.
The the committee decided to construct a new one, endorsing a $17 million proposal.
"So, not only are we receiving a completely new structure for serving the taxpayers for 50 years, but also, if the city expands— or rather, when it does—we will have the chance to grow on that location without being limited as we are now," Mayor Wiza stated.
As the city holds a 27 percent stake in the existing City Hall structure, both the city and the county are required to make choices and cover the costs associated with renovations to the current building.
To prevent divided payments, one organization had to withdraw. In the end, the two entities determined it was more cost-effective for the city to relocate from the existing building.
The county discovered that they could renovate this building and meet nearly all their requirements for roughly half the cost of constructing a new one," Mayor Wiza stated. "Therefore, we're saving taxpayers approximately $40 million.
Mayor Wiza states that he has been involved in this process for many years. The city is now able to expand since it finally has a blueprint for a new structure.
We've finally gotten past that obstacle. For almost 20 years, we've been working to determine how we can make this possible," Mayor Wiza stated. "We are now on a course to provide the county with what it requires, allowing the city to expand as an administration and construct a new facility. All of this will ultimately save taxpayers money in the long term.
Mayor Wiza states that the removal of the old structure and the building of a new one is anticipated to be finished by summer 2027.
For the time being, the city of Stevens Point will remain operating from the existing City Hall building.