(9/12) Phase one of the renovation plans for the Walkersville Town Hall has begun. The three-phase plan should cost roughly $404,000 and take eight weeks to complete. This does not include the one-week buffer period between each phase for organization purposes.

Phase one of the renovation includes work to the main meeting room, bathrooms, and kitchen space. Changes to the meeting room include mounting televisions on the walls for sharing content during town meetings. They will also be replacing the podium with a presenter’s table, installing a new dais, and replacing audience chairs.

Bathroom renovations are designed to bring the existing bathrooms into ADA compliance. This will include enlarging the space and replacing toilets and sinks. The kitchenette will only receive a minor facelift as no major repairs or replacements are necessary at this time.

While the phase one work is underway in the main meeting room, town hall meetings have been moved to the second-floor reception hall where they remain until the work is completed. This space can be accessed via stairs or elevator using the rightmost entrance to the building.

Phase two of the town hall renovations will include cosmetic upgrades to the outer offices, and changes to the conference rooms. It is expected that this work will be completed in two weeks.

In commenting on this portion of the work, Town Manager Sean Williams said that the building was originally a fire hall before being renovated into the town offices in 1990, so furniture in the offices is dated and in need of replacement, as well as a fresh coat of paint "to liven up the space. Williams hopes the renovation will improve the Town’s ability to communicate with the citizens and create a welcoming presence."

The third and final phase of the renovation work will focus on the interior front of the building and the reception area, including entrance door replacements for those that have recently leaked with heavy rains. According to Williams, the town also hopes to improve security measures with the installation of the new entrance doors.

In addition to the current renovations planned, the town is looking to replace 5 air conditioning units on the roof after one has failed. The units have lasted since the 1990 renovations and the Town has agreed that it is best to replace them all now rather than waiting for the others to follow suit. The current estimate to replace the air conditioning units is between $50,000 and $80,000, which is not included in the original $404,000 estimate.

A more precise estimate will be underway as the Town approved a motion to have contractors come out to the building and create a design plan for the new HVAC system for $7,055. Once the design plan is complete there will be an exact price set for the air conditioning replacement. The total budget for this project will need amendments, as the Town originally approved up to $500,000, though only $300,000 was allotted for this fiscal year as the project was anticipated to take longer.