Architect: new city hall taking shape

STEVENS POINT — Somerville Project Architect, Justin Marquis, provided an update on the new city hall during the Nov. 17 Common Council meeting.
The new city hall, to be located at 1039 Ellis Street, will house all city services under one roof. Marquis noted the projects’ goals include “providing a warm, welcoming and efficient building”, easily navigable for residents, and an effective space for staff.
Somerville met with Stevens Point staff to understand the full depth of what is needed in the new building. City staff that was consulted include Mayor Mike Wiza, Community Development Director Jarod Kivela, Susan Pagel the City Clerk, Director of Public Words Scott Beduhn, City Attorney Logan Beveridge, Treasurer Corey Ladick, Police Chief Bob Kussow, Fire Chief JB Moody, IT Manager, Lexi Van Dreel, HR Manager Sandy Frasch, and Community Media Manager John Quirk.
After consulting city staff, some of the main concepts to include in the construction include standard size offices for each department, a voting room with secure storage, mail room, five to seven meeting rooms, a wellness room, a large shared break room, a large council chamber that can hold a minimum of seventy-five individuals, and indoor parking for eighteen vehicles.
Once the project underwent development, the schematic design to date shows the building at approximately 38,000 square feet and costing $15.9 million in total project costs including fees, furniture, and abatement.

With the location at 1039 Ellis Street, the new city hall will be within the Historic Downtown District of Stevens Point. All exterior work on the city hall must run through historic commission for approval, first.
The current schematic site plan would readdress the building to Water Street while maintaining drive access to Ellis and Water Street. The site plan includes seventy-nine exterior parking stalls, with eighteen interior parking stalls for fleet vehicles. According to the first floor plan, a main central lobby will contain reception windows, large street facing council chambers, and a double height lobby to allow for continuous daylight. The second floor plan includes staff rooms behind secure entrances, a front facing and secure waiting room for visitors to the mayor, a large central conference room for department head meetings, and room to the east for future expansion.
Somerville provided a timeline for the city hall project:
• Pre-design: July 15, 2025 to Aug. 18, 2025
• Schematic Design: Aug. 18 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025
• Design Development: Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 26, 2025
• Construction Documents: Jan. 8, 2026 to April 7, 2026
• Bidding: April 19, 2026 to May 9, 2026
• Construction: May 18, 2026 to June 11, 2027
According to Marquis, the next steps in the project are looking for input on any other project elements, scheduling meetings to discuss exterior and interior materials, configurations of space, and use for the rest of the non-departmental space.