Minot will be moving its city hall.
The current city hall is close to the Souris River – and has been affected by floods.
Minot Mayor Shaun Sipma says in 2005, the city applied to the National Disaster Resiliency Grant Progarm for funding to relocate City Hall. And the city council has chosen the old Wells Fargo bank building in downtown Minot. Sipma says the purchase price for the building is $2.6 million. He says the project will cost around $10 million, for remodeling.
Sipma says moving City Hall downtown will also help the city’s efforts to revitalize the area – and the city’s economy.
"If you're going to go into a city hall that is old and cramped, and gives off a vibe that the community really isn't serious about itself, and isn't taking care of the current facilities, that could hurt the city's efforts to attract new and expanding business," Sipma said.
Sipma said the current city hall iksn't in bad shape. But he said the city has outgrown it.
"You walk in, and you feel like a sardine," Sipma said.
Sipma said the city can’t add on to the existing city hall, because it’s in the flood plain, and it would lose more than $7 million from the resiliency grant program.
