Marshfield (OnFocus) The Marshfield Common Council met Tuesday March 26th, 2019. Common Council passes motion to sell the City Hall at 630 S. Central Ave for $900,000 to David Steinle after they reconvened from Closed Session.
In 2016, Marshfield Common Council unanimously agreed to sell City Hall to developer Gorman & Company Inc. for $500,000, pending resolution of some final aspects of the deal. Gorman would allow the city to retain income from cellular towers atop the building for a period of 15 years (generating about $1.5 million for the city). The combined sale of City Hall and the income from cellular towers would have generated over 2 Million dollars for the city.
Sale of City Hall Plaza to Gorman and Company fell through after Gorman was unsuccessful in efforts to obtain historic state tax credits to help with costs.
The agreement reached tonight could be as much as $1.1 Million less than the original deal in 2016 with Gorman & Company Inc.
#Developing Story
City Hall Timeline
1926 – Building constructed.
1958 – First three stories of the larger clinic building adjacent to the first were built
1961- Fourth story added
1965 – Three more stories added
1989- Building becomes home of Marshfield’s City Hall. The current city hall is 70,000 square feet and the City occupies the second floor and floors 5-7 (25,000 square feet)
March 2014 – City Hall Needs Analysis study completed by Zimmerman Architectural Studios Inc highlights deficiencies in the current facility, including: handling unit, ductwork, aging hot water boilers, and the absence of a security system
October 13, 2015 – City of Marshfield Common Council authorizes the development of an RFP, allowing the City to seek developers to present plans to purchase and/or redevelop City Hall.
November, 2015 – Zimmerman hired at a cost of $13,500 to examine the physical condition of the current City Hall building and determine potential remodeling costs to accommodate City use.
December, 2015 – Three developers that submitted proposals for purchasing City Hall present their plans to the Common Council. Wisconsin Redevelopment LLC proses condo development. Gorman & Company Inc. proposes workforce housing. IconiCare LLC proposes senior housing. The Marshfield Common Council unanimously votes to direct city staff to start negotiations with Gorman & Company Inc. for the sale of City Hall and also for staff to begin negotiations with Forward Financial Bank for the purchase of the bank’s facility at 207 W. Sixth St.
May 2016- City reaches a deal to spend $2.6 million for the Forward Financial facility, which is about 24,000 square feet in size. The purchase is contingent on the city also reaching a deal to sell City Hall to developer Gorman & Company Inc.
May 24, 2016 – City commits to providing $2 million toward Forward Financial’s new facility construction, expects to recoup that investment over approximately nine years through property taxes
June 2016 – After several Closed Session deliberations, Marshfield Common Council unanimously agrees to sell City Hall to developer Gorman & Company Inc. for $500,000, pending resolution of some final aspects of the deal. Gorman will allow the city to retain income from cellular towers atop the building for a period of 15 years (generating about $1.5 million for the city).
Autumn 2016 – Design Unlimited hired to develop floor plans for new City Hall
January 10, 2017 – Floor plans for new City Hall are presented.
May 2017 – Sale of City Hall Plaza to Gorman and Company falls through after Gorman is unsuccessful in efforts to obtain historic state tax credits to help with costs
November 14, 2017 – The Marshfield Common Council votes unanimously in favor of borrowing approximately $6 million to move city hall to the current Forward Financial building and to help the bank with its relocation to North Central Avenue.
February 13, 2018 – Marshfield officials approve appraisal of City Hall and permit City Administrator Steve Barg to sign engagement letter with Scott Williams Appraisal of Wausau to conduct the work.
March 19, 2018 -Marshfield Board of Public Works votes to award the reconstruction project on the former Forward Financial building to Eagle Construction of Wisconsin Rapids. Though the lowest of nine companies bidding on the project, the bid is approximately $105,000 over the City’s $600,000 budget for the project.
