Jill Schramm/MDN The former Wells Fargo bank building, now rented for office space, is being recommended as a site for a new Minot city hall. The Big M building in the background also is on the consideration list.

A technical committee looking for a new location for a Minot city hall has selected the former Wells Fargo Bank as its top site. The Minot City Council will discuss the recommendation Monday and determine whether to begin purchase negotiations.

Chris Lindbo of CDJ Opportunities, the building’s owner, said he is open to negotiations if the council decides to go that route. He said he also is in talks with a tenant interested in possibly renting a large share of the building.

“I just want it full of people so it benefits the downtown,” Lindbo said. “If you have 100 extra people shopping downtown or going to lunch every day or getting a cup of coffee, that’s all good for downtown.”

In a memo to the council, city engineer Lance Meyer stated the technical team determined about 44,772 square feet is needed today, with an additional 9,031 square feet needed over a 50-year timeframe. The two downtown buildings that fit the requirement are the former Big M building and Wells Fargo building, both former banks. The city initially had looked at Trinity buildings that will become vacant in the future but ruled them out for various reasons.

The technical team concluded the Wells Fargo building best met the criteria for office space, parking availability, condition of the building systems and overall costs.

Lindbo said the downstairs portion of the building currently is largely rented for office space, with some offices also located on the third floor.

The building, which included an escalator, was constructed for $2.5 million by First National Bank and opened in the fall of 1976 at the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue South. First National Bank became Norwest Bank in 1982 and Wells Fargo in 1998.

The city is seeking a larger building because the current city hall is out of space and cannot house new employees. Some employees are housed in Minot Municipal Auditorium or the Public Works/Engineering building due to lack of space in City Hall. A larger city hall also would provide more space for public meetings and conference rooms.

The city has allocated $3.75 million in National Disaster Resilience funds and $3 million in other city funding for the project. For 2021, the city is proposing $5.3 million from cash reserves and $5.5 million from the tax levy. Total cost of the project has not been determined.

The council meets Monday at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.