WATERTOWN, S.D.–It has become a messy situation for the city of Watertown, but one that could have some resolution soon.

It’s the former Wells Fargo Bank building downtown, which the city bought for $1.3 million in November 2020.

Their plan, at the time, was to renovate it into a new city hall. But they got just one renovation bid, and it came in at a whopping $8 million dollars, which was well over budget.

They’ve since declared the building surplus property, which gives them the option to sell it to someone else.

Mayor Ried Holien (ho-leen) provided this update.

The mayor says they’ve received just one offer to buy the building, and a decision will need to be made soon.

Meanwhile, the city continues to explore options on different locations around Watertown for a new City Hall, but that too remains unresolved.