Councilors approved placing the question of whether or not to move the community center and city hall to a renovated JCPenney building at Uptown Willmar on its next meeting agenda, with some cautions.
The city hall and community center location debate continued at a July 10 work session, with City Administrator Leslie Valiant offering new options to consider: Skylark Center or Block 50
Andy Weiner is the president of RockStep Capital, which owns the Willmar and many other mall and retail outlets in the U.S. Three members of the Willmar City Council said this week they don't trust mall ownership.
A very rough estimate of the cost to completely reconstruct the approximately 27-acre Uptown Willmar parking lot is $6.5 million to $10.4 million, which is more than the estimated taxable market value of the Uptown Willmar property. Grant funds toward a stormwater project are being sought this summer.
The proposal to renovate the former JCPenney building in Willmar into a city hall and community center has led to a lot of community discussion regarding the Willmar Ten Investors, the Uptown Willmar mall and its parking lot, as well as the JCPenney building itself. Some of the information that is circulating is simply incorrect.
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The Council will make a decision between an estimated $14 to $16 million remodel or building new at a cost of $31 to $35 million building at its Monday, March 20, meeting.