Wauwatosa is moving forward with the $107.2 million option to build a brand-new city hall and library facility after the Common Council voted 10-1 on July 28 to direct the staff to pursue design and capital planning on the project.
It’s the priciest and boldest of four options first introduced to the public in May to fix the aging complex, 7725 W. North Ave., which requires a minimum of $36 million in updates to function in the future, according to staff. Under the approved resolution, taxpayers will pay less than originally estimated while the city staff and library board will see a higher combined goal for fundraising, grants and other funding methods.
Mayor Dennis McBride said it was likely the biggest vote alderpersons would take in their time on Common Council. In the last decade, previous elected officials have approved a study that determined the need for a new building, discussed the project, and passed contracts for partners to begin designing concepts.
“Every day we wait, the project gets more expensive,” McBride said. Now, it’s up to staff to move forward on planning and designing the project with an obligation to check in with the city’s Finance Committee to share updates with the public.
Ald. Melissa Dolan, who voted in favor of the plan during the committee of the whole meeting July 21, changed her vote July 28 after she received tons of messages from residents dismayed by the $107 million plan’s impact on their tax bill.
How much will the $107 million option cost taxpayers?
Taxpayers will foot around $67.8 million of the project over 20 years.
Someone who owns an average home in Wauwatosa that costs $418,800 would pay $20 a month for 20 years on their tax bill to fund the project. That’s less than the initial monthly $26.91 that same taxpayer was initially estimated to pay.
The city’s Innovation Grant would fund $12 million of the project. Wauwatosa would temporarily raise its self-imposed debt limit to finance the project, according to the city.
That would leave a $27.4 million gap – rather than the initial $8 million estimate – to fill through private library fundraising, additional grants and other measures that the library leaders and city would work together on seeking.
The Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation plans to unveil a fundraising campaign. Since the project’s design isn’t complete yet, there may be ways to seek more cost-saving measures like value engineering, according to Eva Ennamorato, communications manager at the city. Value engineering is a process during a project’s design stage in which an outside team determines recommendations for the safest, most efficient and lowest cost options to complete the project.
What did the community say about the options for Wauwatosa’s civic center, city hall and public library?
City and Wauwatosa Public Library staff spent two months collecting public feedback on the four conceptual options, including in a city-wide online survey.
Of the 1,397 people who responded, nearly 35% said they’d prefer the cheapest $36.1 million option to make required updates to the space. None of the other options received more than 23%.
Many respondents expressed concern about the options that would bring them higher taxes since they already feel the strain from school board referendums and higher tax assessments.
The Library Board, however, recommended approval for options three or four – both of which include plans for a new library – arguing in a statement that the two cheapest options “will fail our community.” Only a bit more than 20% of the residents who responded to the online survey preferred the most expensive $107.2 million option.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wauwatosa will pursue $107 million option for new city hall, library
Reporting by Bridget Fogarty, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bridget Fogarty, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
