The City Council took the next step Monday in renovation of the 50-year-old City Hall as a freestanding structure. (Photo/Nancy Hanson.)

Moorhead City Council

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

As the remnants of the Center Mall disappear at its feet, Moorhead’s City Hall renovation is moving forward.
At its Monday meeting, the City Council took two steps in that direction. First, the board approved hiring McGough Construction as the CMAR – “construction manager at risk” – to oversee remodeling of the 50-year-old building often referred to as the “sugar cube” in downtown Moorhead.
Then the council also answered the question of where to station the city’s staff while the building is disrupted by construction. They will relocate across the street to the Frederick Martin Center – long known as the FM Hotel, where they’ll occupy the first, fifth and seventh floors.
The McGough firm is already at work on the grounds of the former mall. As the contractor for the sales-tax-funded Community Center/Library, its crews are working on the basement of the 55,000-square-foot structure on Center Avenue southwest of City Hall, which currently rises four floors above the center of the former mall. As CMAR, the company will insure completion of the project at a guaranteed maximum price based on construction documents and specifications to be provided by JLG Architects. The CMAR will represent the city’s interests, providing pre-construction services and overseeing all bidding, subcontractor hiring, construction oversight, insurance and health/safety measures for the project during the construction phase.
McGough’s was one of three proposals considered for the project. It will receive $49,000 for these services. Cost of the entire project is estimated to be about $20 million.
City staffers are expected to begin moving into their temporary rented quarters in September, with operations up and running Oct. 1, according to assistant city manager Mike Rietz. The lease approved by the council is for one year and 11 months, though it can be adjusted based on progress at City Hall. The lease totals about $29,000 per month, a rate of $15 per square foot.