2021-01-13

Procurement for town hall renovation project closes this week

by KEITH CORCORAN

  • <p>SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS</p><p>Mahone Bay&#8217;s town hall building, off Main Street.</p>

Mahone Bay plans a six-figure renovation to its Main Street town hall, which includes refreshes to spaces on all three floors and impacts offices, washrooms, and council chambers.

The changes will tackle "accessibility issues, increase energy efficiency, improve staff and public safety," reads a public procurement for the work, which closes January 15. The job also supports "effective continued use of this historic building which hosted the first meeting of the Mahone Bay Town Council in 1919," the tender notes.

The project, which town financial documents estimate will cost in the $133,000-range, is moving ahead partly due to the pandemic.

"We're making certain improvements now in the interest of public safety in response to COVID-19, including plexiglass, barriers, new side door and service window on first floor," Dylan Heide, the town's chief administrator, told LighthouseNOW in an email. He added that the plan is to renovate office spaces "to provide a safe working environment for staff and council in the building."

"We are also taking advantage of most office staff currently being on remote work arrangements, and council and committee meetings taking place remotely, to facilitate the renovations."

The work will be completed in various steps, and is expected to happen over the winter and, weather permitting, finishes on or before April.

Information technology network cables and jacks will be repaired, replaced or added. There will be door and staircase changes on the first floor.

The current renovation project includes renovation of the second-floor washroom, which will be complemented by a second-floor public entrance from Aberdeen Lane. The town is awaiting confirmation of funds from a federal government program for that, according to Heide.

Meanwhile, he said, there are no immediate plans for an elevator in the building.

The second floor also sees new partitions added to create an office and lunch room area, while the coffee area in the council chambers meeting room will be demolished and rebuilt as a storage spot. Electrical outlets and wiring will be upgraded to suit the new office layout.

Flooring, walls and electrical aspects will be among the focuses of adjustments on the third floor.

Exterior work will also take place to the building's roof, siding and rain gutters.

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