Waite Park Government Center Remodel Still On Time For Fall Opening Despite Unexpected Snags

(KNSI) – The Waite Park City Council discussed options with the architect and construction manager at risk during a work session Monday to address potentially leaky windows over what used to be the main entrance at city hall.

Removing the windows leaves nothing but bare white stonework, which clashes with the new finishing to the fire hall and council chambers. Redoing the exterior of the section could cost up to $370,000. Public Works Director Bill Schluenz says it is the second major unexpected expense related to the project. “The old site used to be a full wetland area in there, and they filled it in with some material that…I’m not quite sure where it came from. This is well before my time. And now you have to be able to remove all that soil, and it has to be disposed of properly. And it does get to be a little bit expensive.”

Schluenz says they still maintain a $2.6 million cushion below the roughly $29 million estimate. He then provided an update on the project’s progress. The final steel beams in the new police station expansion will be laid this month, and then quickly covered to allow interior work throughout the winter.

“So, I would think in the next three weeks we should start to have a roof on the area that needs to be covered. Other than that, we are inside the building now, working on finishing up some of the demo in there and starting to do our HVAC and plumbing and electrical wiring. And soon we’ll be putting walls up, probably after the first of the year.”

Schluenz is hoping the work will be wrapped up by late September 2026.

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