File photo The former Wells Fargo building will be rehabilitated into a new city hall in Minot.

The overall cost of rehabilitating a downtown building for a city hall went up with the acceptance of a construction bid by the Minot City Council Monday.

The Minot City Council on Monday accepted Rolac Contracting’s $9.52 million base bid with four alternative features. The alternatives involve certain exterior improvements, including entrance improvements.

The cost brings the total budget on the city hall project to just over $15.7 million, which exceeds the $13.8 million budgeted. The council approved the transfer of $2 million from general fund cash to cover the additional costs. City Manager Harold Stewart noted the additional spending would not entail any tax increase.

Council President Lisa Olson said the cost is higher than expected but reasonable.

“We need to move forward, even with the cost,” she said.

Council member Stephan Podrygula advocated for adding a $27,000 alternative for an air purification system. However, it was alternative six on the list so the council would have needed to adopt the higher prioritized alternative five as well. Alternative five involved an operable glass wall in council chambers for $118,500.

The city purchased the former Wells Fargo bank building downtown to convert it into a new city hall and emergency dispatch center. The city has allocated $7.75 million from its National Disaster Resilience grant to the project.