New public safety building in Oconomowoc will cost more than $10.7 million

The city of Oconomowoc will get a new public safety building, after common council action Sept. 17 on the project, which has been debated for several years.

A divided council voted 5-3 to approve the construction contract for the project, estimated at $10.715 million.

Aldermen Charlie Shaw, Tom Strey, Andy Rogers, Kevin Ellis and Derek Zwart voted in favor of the facility, while Matt Rosek, Karen Spiegelberg and Lou Kowieski voted no.

The public safety building will be at 630 E. Wisconsin Ave., the former site of a Sentry grocery store.

According to Mark Frye, Oconomowoc's director of public works, a space needs study in 2016 determined a building of 38,600 square feet would serve the city's needs for the next 25 years and beyond.

In December 2017, the council voted to make an offer on the property. Two months later, the $2.05 million sale was finalized.

In November 2018, the council approved the schematic design and project budget for an $11.75 million building, but Frye said staff was able to reduce the amount.

"The council’s desire was to utilize the cash proceeds from the sale of the Rockwell Street and former YMCA properties," Frye wrote in a memo to the protection and welfare committee. "With the closing of the YMCA property sale now complete, the city is able to allocate those sale proceeds to this project.

"Between the impact fees already collected and the proceeds from the two property sales, the city will be able to cash fund both the contingency 55 and parking lot costs. Between the reduced project costs and additional cash funds available, the city’s debt for this facility is expected to be $1,364,000 less than anticipated in November of 2018."

The cost to taxpayers is roughly 27 cents per $1,000. So, the average annual cost for the owner of a $245,000 home would be about $67.

The plan calls for using the existing building. 

Kowieski had an issue with the building's location near the water.

"We're about to put a 40,000-square-foot municipal building on the waterfront that doesn't really play to the reactivation of what could happen," Kowieski said. "We have seen investment in other areas of the city that actually brings people in to spend money and to build value. ... This is not providing that kind of value in that area."

Shaw, however, thought the location for the facility was the right fit.

"It sat empty for quite a few years," Shaw said. "If a developer was really going to be serious about putting a development on that waterfront property, it should have happened, and it did not. I think this is the best use for that building as it stands, and it saves the city money for using that building."

Rosek said the building featured too much space that wasn't being used efficiently.

"We have a tremendous amount of space that is basically duplicate space," Rosek said. "Multiple conference rooms, multiple break rooms, a significant amount of space for nobody."

Besides the police department, Lake Country Municipal Court will also take up space in the building. According to documents, the court will have more than 5,700 square feet of space, which is a substantial increase from its current space in city hall of 2,465 square feet.

The facility has an estimated completion date of November 2020. 

Contact Evan Frank at (262) 361-9138 or evan.frank@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP.