Committee chooses site for new city hall in Edgerton
Podcast Episode
Kyle Geissler talks with Janesville Gazette reporter Stacy Vogel about a decision on where to locate a new city hall in Edgerton.
EDGERTON — Edgerton’s next city hall, if and when it’s built, probably won’t be far from the existing one.
The Edgerton Ad-Hoc City Hall Committee at its meeting Wednesday night chose the parking lot at the corner of Albion and Fulton streets, next to the existing municipal building, as the best site to build a new city hall.
The current building was 50 years old when the city bought it in 1950. A 2001 facility study recommended building a new city hall in the downtown historic district, and a mason told the city last summer that the current building’s walls need to be rebuilt.
The committee, made of city officials and residents, started meeting in February. It considered remodeling the existing building but quickly ruled it out, said Alderman Casey Burns, chairman. The building is deteriorating and doesn’t have nearly enough space for offices and records, he said.
“We realized it’s way beyond repair, and with budget time coming up, we really want to see if we can get things narrowed down so we don’t have to appropriate more money (to fix the building),” he said.
The committee narrowed its options to three before choosing the municipal parking lot. The other two options were:
-- Building a new facility on property owned by Peter Burno at the corner of Lawton and Main streets.
-- Remodeling the Masonic Lodge, 312 W. Fulton St. The lodge told the committee it might be willing to sell the building to the city.
The municipal lot seemed like the best option because the city already owns it, Burns said.
“Everybody kind of agreed that we’d rather not lease land, and there was some indecision about the people who own the Masonic Lodge,” Burns said. “At this point in the process, we weren’t going to wait.”
The city council has asked the committee to issue a report in fall, and officials have discussed the possibility of a holding a referendum next year, Burns said.
The committee postponed a decision Wednesday on an architectural firm to help with pre-referendum design work. Three firms—Angus-Young Associates, Eppstein Uhen Architects and MSA Professional Services—replied to the city’s request for proposals, but the committee still has questions about the proposals, Burns said.
City Administrator Ramona Flanigan will research the questions, and the committee will meet again at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.
Burns declined to say what the firms proposed to charge for their services. The city budgeted $20,000 in its 2008 budget to study city hall.
“We want to make sure we spend the money wisely because we only get one shot at this, and this is the first time in 50 years anyone has had the opportunity to do so,” he said.
Aug 7, 2008 at 4:58 p.m.
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That is a great idea, but Eric would get credit for that. Was this considered?
Aug 7, 2008 at 4:44 p.m.
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I have a great idea! Why don't the city put the new city hall in the new building downtown. They were the ones that wanted it down there in the first place. Or do they not want to be the only ones in the building. There's 26 unit's left out of 26! TAKE 2 while your at it.
Aug 7, 2008 at 2:49 p.m.
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Still does not answer who is on the committee. Good idea though.
Aug 7, 2008 at 2:44 p.m.
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Bubbadip, Bubbadip, Bubbadip
I couldn't have said it better myself. MotzaBalls responded as if I were critical of his due-diligent efforts to "consider all options". If another option opens up shortly after you decide to build on another parking lot, would you consider it? That was all I was suggesting. Obviously I am not alone in considering this option. Bubbadip also thinks is is worth a look. I am sure we will hear from others as they read this. Now that the bakery has left, and the coffee shop has left, you are left with another large building for sale. It just so happens to be limited in it's use, and located next to the police station. Due diligence will come back to bite you if you are only putting on a pony show. At least show us your horses and go the distance. Eventually the buildings that remain vacant for long periods of time without maintenance, updating, and modernization become much bigger problems over the long term. All I am saying is to consider filling a vacancy while updating another portion of the downtown. Your city is off to a good start, keep it going. If not now, when?
Aug 7, 2008 at 2:24 p.m.
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M-balls, the parking lot you are talking about would remain parking for CUSTOMERS in the Edgerton downtown area as well as voters, meeting and court attendees, etc. The building Yahweh is talking about makes sense. Combining the police station and city hall could save money by combining the heating and cooling systems and communications network. In addition, the employees could have access to the workout room and a shared parking area for employees. The building could also be purchased and remodeled to house the city offices, eliminate vacancies, and highlight the historic features of the building. If the Masonic Temple is ever placed on the market, it would make a great restaurant & banquet facility. Eliminating the parking on adjacent to the Temple is silly. There is no public parking in that area aside from that lot. How do you expect the empty buildings to sell, or struggling businesses to have customers if they cant find parking? The little parking that is over there is taken up by the upstairs tenants, whose vehicles subsequently block the merchants windows. The upstairs of the building could house school offices to free up space in the future, meeting rooms for civic and support groups, or for records storage. I think the committee felt some of the struggles that potential business people face when looking to potentially locate in Edgerton. Vacant building location does not always mesh well with potential new uses. Add to that the parking constraints and visibility concerns to make the efforts that much more difficult. That is just your average small town constraints, but they can limit options. I am sure the municipal parking lot was not idea #1. I would be shocked if it were only the best option of the mediocre choices they had to work with. I am not saying it is the worst choice, rather I am saying to consider the option of replacing or remodeling an existing vacant building. Parking is valuable as merchants start to fill the storefronts.
Aug 7, 2008 at 11:35 a.m.
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Why buy and tear down a building when the city owns the lot across the street that's empty. That is where the committee decided to build.
How much more central can you get?
Aug 7, 2008 at 11:19 a.m.
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Who is on the Ad hoc committee? Walkthisyaweh, are you talking about the vacant building to the left if you are facing the police station? Good idea if you are.
Aug 7, 2008 at 10:17 a.m.
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The committee has worked hard and should be commended. What about placing it in the new building downtown? While driving past the old bakery downtown I had a thought. Have they considered buying and tearing down the building adjacent to the police station? That way they could have a centralized city complex.
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