This week’s featured question was submitted for Merrill City Administrator Dave Johnson.

Merrill City Administrator Dave Johnson

The question reads: “What ever happened with the whole Breaman Ford expansion? Is that still happening or was it stopped? If it does end up happening, what will be changed on that side of town?”

Answer as given by Johnson:
“The Breaman Ford expansion is moving forward through the process. The expansion plans call for a major addition to the existing building and expansion of the outdoor sales area to the south and west. The expansion plans require the demolition of the residential property on the west side of Cedar St. that is owned by Breaman Ford and the closure of Cedar St. as a through Street to Center Ave. During the Common Council meeting on Tuesday June 12 there will be a public hearing on the street closure and vacation of the street right-of-way.
“The expansion of Breaman Ford will result in new jobs and additional property tax base for the City. The City of Merrill working with an existing business to facilitate expansion keeps that business in Merrill rather than having them going outside the city limits to find available land for expansion. From an economic standpoint, the retention of existing businesses is important to the economic health of a city, as is attracting new businesses. For our own economic well-being Merrill needs to be seen as a “business friendly” city”

*Tuesday’s Common Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 PM at the Council Chambers of Merrill City Hall. The public hearing is slated to begin shortly after the council convenes.

Have a question or concern you would like to address? Simply send your question or concern to jratliff@mmclocal.com along with an indication of which entity your question or concern pertains to. Current participants are the Merrill Police Department, Tomahawk Police Department, Merrill Fire Department, Merrill City Administrator Dave Johnson, Merrill Area Housing Authority Director Paul Russell, Lincoln County Clerk Chris Marlowe, Lincoln County Forestry Land and Parks Director Kevin Kleinschmidt, Local DNR Conservation Warden Curt Butler, Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) Superintendent Dr. John Sample. Please note: Those who submit to the ‘Ask an Official’ feature remain anonymous.