Whether you are checking out a book, paying your bills, or casting your ballot, you will soon be heading to a different place to do all of that in the City of Algoma. Over the weekend, Mayor Steve Lautenbach announced that the city entered a contract with Associated Bank to purchase its building at 208 Steele Street for $200,000. The Algoma City Council unanimously approved the purchase at its meeting on October 15th. The funds for the purchase and renovations of 208 Steele Street will be paid for with a fund balance from the capital projects fund, and they are not part of the 2024 capital borrowing. City Administrator Matt Murphy said its current city hall and police department building, located at 416 Fremont Street, requires several upgrades and repairs to keep it viable, including $1 million for a new heating and cooling system. That system is also connected to the current library facility. Murphy says that caused the city to start looking for alternatives that had been previously explored.

He adds that the city will work with Bayland Buildings to redesign the layout of the new building with a vision he expects will take a few months to complete.