4 minute read
From Close Quarters to a Grand New Town Hall
From Close Quarters to a Grand New Town Hall
By Leonard Shapiro
It’s going to be a very happy new year for the several dozen administrators, police officers, council members and staffers for the Town of Middleburg, with many more decades of joy surely to follow. There’s a gleaming new town hall to celebrate these days, and well into the future, as well.
The move to a gorgeous new, expansive building just behind the now demolished old edifice on Marshall Street officially occurred this past Oct. 26. And please pardon anyone inside sitting behind a desk, talking on the phone, working at the copying machine or even utilizing its mini-workout room from smiling ear to ear.
That’s what happens with a move from a cramped 60-year-old, 3,200-square-foot structure to a relative palace covering 11,500 square feet, with room for 47 parking spaces right out the front door. There’s a threehour parking limit during the day, with no restrictions at night or on the weekends.
Serious planning for the new building began in 2017, with several other sites considered before the current location was determined in 2020, with Salamander Resort donating a portion of the 1.2-acre lot. Construction bids were due in late 2021, with work beginning in February, 2022.
In the old building, three staff members had to navigate a tricky spiral staircase to access their second-floor work space. Said Town Administrator Danny Davis, “It’s a miracle no one ever fell down those stairs.”
No miracles were necessary to make the new Town Hall happen. The $12.5 million project has been financed with general obligation bonds, federal and county grants and a reasonable 20-year fixed rate debt service that Davis said, “We can afford with no concerns.”
In return, there are countless benefits affecting everyone working inside the spacious building, not to mention the town’s 700-plus residents. Consider Middleburg’s six-person police force under Chief Shaun Jones.
Until October, they occupied separate offices on Federal Street across town. Now, they’re under the same roof with all the other town employees, with an improved evidence and meeting rooms and storage facilities.
Consider the airy Town Council chamber, with plenty more space to accommodate an audience of about 50. And just outside the door, there’s a spillover area allowing even more folks to view the proceedings on mounted closed circuit TVs.
“We can accommodate much larger pubic meetings,” Davis said. “If it’s a huge meeting and we do need more space, we can still use the American Legion or the Community Center. But I’d say 98 percent of our proceedings can be accommodated right here in a room that’s just the right size to meet most of our needs.”
The new building also has a powerful back-up generator system, making it what Davis added is “a pubic safety facility, too. Say there’s a major winter storm and a loss of power in the town. People can come here and have power, heat and water. It’s a win-win for everyone.
“The building already meets and exceeds what we were hoping for in terms of serving the community,” Davis said. “It helps us be more effective in our jobs. We have more space to serve the public while at the same time functioning without being on top of each other. It makes a big difference.”
And definitely a very happy new year, with many more to come.
