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The Fort Dodge City Council has hired a Des Moines firm to help oversee the renovation of the vacant Warden Plaza.

The council voted 6-1 Monday night to hire Formation Group Inc. to serve as its representative as the project moves forward. The company’s duties will include developing a budget and schedule for the work, which will be done by KDG LLC, of Kansas.

Formation Group Inc. is expected to do its work over the course of three months. It will be paid $49,500.

City Manager David Fierke said hiring an outside firm to help is necessary because the renovation of the building is a huge and complex task. He said no one on the city staff has the time to commit to the project.

Fierke added that the project is starting to proceed from plans to reality.

“We’re quickly moving out of a planning stage and into a project stage,” he said.

Mayor Matt Bemrich said that during next week’s meeting the council is scheduled to act on transferring the building, now owned by the city, to KDG LLC.

Bemrich said he supported the hiring of Formation Group Inc., describing the company as an “extension of our staff.”

“We’ve done enough thinking,” said Councilman Jeffrey Halter. “We’ve done enough dreaming. Now is the time to make a plan and move it forward.”

Councilman Dean Hill objected to hiring the company. He said that since the developer doesn’t have ownership of the building yet, it’s too soon to hire any kind of city representative to oversee the project.

“Trust me, I want to see the Warden redeveloped as much as anyone, but I think this agenda item is premature,” he said.

“I don’t agree that it’s premature,” Councilman Neven Conrad said. “I think this is a great first step.”

Councilmen Kim Alstott, Dave Flattery, Andy Fritz, Terry Moehnke, Conrad and Halter voted to hire the company. Hill voted no.

The Warden Plaza is at 908 First Ave. S. The eight-story building has been vacant for about a decade.

In March, the city government went to court to acquire the property from Coralee LLC, of Oakland, California, under the terms of the state’s abandoned buildings law. The city was successful and took ownership of the property in July.

On Aug. 8, the council approved a preliminary memorandum of understanding with KDG LLC. Under the terms of that memorandum, the company would spend $30 million to create apartments and commercial space in the building.

A new recreation center may be attached to the Warden Plaza and space for fine arts performances may be created inside it.

In September, the council hired ATC Group Services LLC, of Des Moines, to check the building for asbestos and lead paint.