In early 2021, Wold was hired by City of Otsego to prepare a comprehensive master plan that would anticipate the growing needs of its Public Works department and assess the impact on its City Hall and Prairie Center parks facility. With a population projected to nearly double, reaching over 36,000 residents, the plan needed to both address the existing space constraints and devise a new approach for providing services to the growing community as demand steadily increased alongside population growth.
Based on the study’s findings, which examined the combined Public Works and City Hall facility, it was determined that constructing a separate City Hall, distinct from the operations of the public works department, was necessary. This allowed for an expansion of the Public Works facility and provided a clear space for City Hall operations that the public could more easily and safely access. Additionally, a new cold storage facility was needed to help with immediate seasonal storage needs and act as a stop-gap until the full public works expansion could be completed. Moving City Hall operations out first was critical to the overall plan.
Following visits to various city campuses and an extensive site selection process conducted in partnership with City Council members and staff, the County made the decision to proceed with our team for the design of Phase 1 of the master plan, and implementation is currently underway. Once these projects near completion, the Public Works expansion and Prairie Center improvements will begin as part of Phase II. This stage will involve expanding the Public Works facility to provide a larger, safer mechanics space while simultaneously further developing the Parks & Recreation department at Prairie Center, ensuring a bright future for both.