$2.6 million expansion starts July 13

By Angie Landsverk

The expansion and remodeling of Weyauwega’s city hall and police department are beginning this month.

The $2.6 million municipal building project is set to start on Monday, July 13.

“It’s exciting,” City Administrator Patrick Wetzel said. “It’s something the city’s been looking at for quite some time.”

This week, city hall is closed to walk-in visitors as city employees make the move into their temporary location a few buildings down.

That space is at 123 E. Main St.

The formerly vacant storefront is being transformed into office space.

The common council authorized spending up to $15,000 to get the space ready, Wetzel said.

The city does not own the building, nor will it, he said.

At last month’s council meeting, Wetzel said the flooring had been removed, a new entrance had been created and walls were added.

“We created a lobby area. There will be a glass counter and secure entrance,” he said last Thursday, June 25, as city employees and volunteers moved furniture and other items from the space.

That was in preparation for the carpeting, which was to arrive the next day.

“We will start putting furniture back in on Friday afternoon and Monday (June 29),” Wetzel said. “The Internet and phone servers will be set up Tuesday (June 30).”

The office furniture includes a number of like-new items, secured as a donation to the city for the project.

Through his contacts with Johnson Insurance, an arm of Johnson Bank, Ald. Mike Kempf learned the company was relocating its Ripon office and had like-new office furniture available.

The furniture is valued at between $60,000 and $70,000 and is already being incorporated into the office structure.

The temporary space will have an open concept with work space for city employees and also a conference area.

Plans call for city committee meetings to be held in the conference area, Wetzel said.

Other improvements in the building include updated lighting and making sure the HVAC is up to code.

“The thought is move in, move out,” Wetzel said. “It will be an open office space, attractive for a new business to locate downtown.”

The municipal building project is expected to be completed next May.

Howard Immel Inc., of Green Bay, is the contractor.

Discussion about how to improve city hall dates back to 2008 and included an assessment of city hall and its needs.

The options included renovating the current city hall or constructing a new building on various sites.

After reviewing various options, the common council decided to keep city hall downtown.

A review of the current building’s suitability for renovation, as well as the two buildings next to it, took place.

Several years ago, the city purchased the two lots, at 105 and 107 E. Main St., and they will be part of the project.

The assessment of the current city hall identified a number of items needing to be addressed, including a lack of security,

proper storage, meeting space, voting space, proper police functions and energy efficiency.

The completed project will result in a two-story building on the three lots. It will include space for city hall, the police department and a community center.