Report finds 'daunting building repairs' needed in Milwaukee County

Milwaukee, WIS. (CBS 58) -- One group calls the cost of the task "daunting." A new report from The Public Policy Forum says a number of public buildings in downtown Milwaukee are in dire need of being repaired or replaced.

One of the co-authors of the report says The Public Safety Building is in the worst shape and needs to be reconstructed but it's not the only building in trouble.

The report says City Hall and the Milwaukee County Courthouse need repair. The report also says the Safety Building, Mental Health Complex, and Medical Examiner's Office need to be replaced as soon as possible.

The Public Policy Forum says many of the buildings are old, have bad roofs and HVAC systems, have functional issues, and building code violations. The price tag on replacing the Safety Building is estimated at $200 million.

All of the projects could lead to more borrowing.

"It's very similar to roads. People need to use these things. They provide a service and if we can't take good care of them there are going to be consequences," said Benjamin Juarez, Public Policy Forum Fiscal Researcher.

It will now be up to the city and county to determine how they want to move forward with the projects and funding.