As far back as the 1990s, it became apparent to city officials the Marshall Municipal Building no longer fit the needs of city workers and citizens.

Originally built to house police and fire personnel, along with city administrative operations, the building became steadily outdated. Eventually, the fire operations moved to a stand-alone fire station in the 1970s and the police moved to the Law Enforcement Center in the 1990s. Unfortunately, the extra space left in the lower level wasn’t usable because of major deterioration. The utilities and other parts of the building had also declined over the years. And the second floor lacked the technology for broadcasting city council meetings. The meetings had to be moved to Marshall Public Schools.

Long-time city council remember John DeCramer shared a memory with the Independent. “I remember one of the questions I was asked when I first ran for city council was ‘What are you going to with City Hall?’ “

Well, last week Thursday, DeCramer, along with the rest of the city council, answered that question. City dignitaries and residents gathered to cut the ribbon on the newly renovated City Hall.

During the dedication ceremony, City Administrator Sharon Hanson said the City Hall project was something Marshall could take pride in.

We agree for two main reasons. The structure is modern-looking, but doesn’t take too much away from historical features of the Marshall downtown. More importantly, City Hall remains on Main Street, where it existed for decades. Moving City Hall to a different location would have been a setback for the prosperity of downtown.

The new building keeps city employees on Main Street. More importantly, it gives retailers hope that the downtown will continue to thrive.