Owner of Wildwood Plaza Considering Donating Building for Marshfield Police Department

Friday, February 10th, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

The owner of Wildwood Plaza approached the City of Marshfield about a potential donation of the building located at 2504 S. Central Avenue, which is commonly known as the 'Buffalo Building.'

Built-in 1996, the building is a 23,400 sq. ft. steel framed-masonry-clad office building with no tenant. The previous tenant vacated the property in 2022. The City is challenged with space needs for its Police & Street Departments.

There was a space needs study conducted in 2017 for the Police Department and in 2020 for the Street Department. The site at 2504 S. Central Avenue cannot accommodate the Street Department's needs; however, it may accommodate a police station.

The current police station was constructed in 1981 on 1st Street. The Police Department uses three buildings in the downtown area at approximately 18,000 sq/ft. The Police Department's 2017 space study indicated they need about 34,000 sq. ft. of space.

The primary needs identified were additional vehicle garage space, further secured evidence storage, and larger training rooms. In addition, the existing building layout is not functional, with many corridors, small rooms, and inefficient spaces.

The Police Department does use two off-site storage garages for department vehicles and impound items. At that time of the study, any possible construction was put on hold because their current site could not accommodate an expansion of that size, and new construction was too cost prohibitive.

A team of City employees inspected the Wildwood Plaza building. They determined it was in satisfactory to good condition and potentially suitable for a police station. Based on the study from 2017, the facility can accommodate the Department's office, storage, administrative, investigation, and training needs.

However, there would be a need for a garage. One of the most significant challenges the Police Department faces is the inability to accommodate the growing requirements for evidence storage.

Agencies are required to store evidence for trial and sometimes until the sentences are served for convicted crimes, which involves a lot of space. Another challenge is the storage of vehicles.

Wisconsin weather is harsh on vehicles, and vehicles are often required to run in the winter due to being outside to respond to emergencies appropriately. In the summer, the electronics in vehicles can be damaged by heat and the sun.

Police vehicles are mobile offices with expensive electronic equipment, and Wisconsin weather significantly shortens the lifespan of that equipment. The Police Department's current location offers other challenges.

If there is a red light at Chestnut & Veterans, or if there is a train, civilian vehicles end up blocking access and creating a hazard when police officers respond to emergencies. If a train derails in the area, a safety perimeter would likely require building vacancy, making it unusable and a logistics nightmare.

Another potential move consideration is the City's vision of the 2nd Street Corridor Project. The buildings used by the Police Department are in critical areas of the 2nd Street Corridor Project. The ability to move out of these buildings creates a more attainable vision.

The City of Marshfield is seeking proposals for professional services from qualified firms to provide a site and building assessment for the possible relocation of the Police Station.

The scope of the project is to verify space requirements identified in the 2017 study; evaluate the building at 2504 S. Central Ave. to see if Police Department space needs can be met at this site; provide cost estimates for remodeling and construction of a garage; analyze the building's life expectancy; and estimate future maintenance and replacement costs for the next 20 years.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.