HILLSDALE — Formal dedication is still more than a week away, but town officials are already working in their new quarters.
Moving Day from the old Town Hall to the new, in the former Hillsdale Public Library building on Route 23, was September 23.
The lower level accommodates Town Clerk Julie Kane and Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Smith and, in a closet-size office, Supervisor Art Baer.
Upstairs is an elegant (even unto a wood-burning fireplace) space for public meetings and Town Court sessions, along with an office for the court clerk and a room in which attorneys can confer with clients.
An elevator links the two levels, providing full handicapped access.
Mr. Baer said the project cost, including purchase of the building, was about $530,000.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “There are towns that are building salt sheds that are more expensive than this.”
He credited Councilman August Sena, who served as clerk of the works, with bringing the project in on schedule. Architect was Joe Iuviene of the Architectural Bureau in Chatham.
Come Saturday, October 15, townspeople are invited to gather in the Hamlet Park at 10:45 a.m. for a short procession through town. At 11 a.m. at the old Town Hall, ribbon-cutting and dedication of the new sheriff’s satellite office are scheduled, although this event may be postponed if the deputies haven’t moved in yet.
The procession resumes up to the new General Store for a ribbon cutting with brief remarks, then ends at noon at the new Town Hall for a five-minute ribbon cutting and a few remarks followed by music and refreshments.
Hoping to make the exterior of the Town Hall (built in 1924) as attractive as the interior, the town is seeking a $400,000 state historic preservation grant for exterior improvements and grounds work.
