Dexter trustees approve new building

DEXTER — The village’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved moving forward on plans for a new office building.

The 3,500-square-foot building, to be built near West Bradley and Liberty streets, is estimated to cost approximately $1 million.

The building will replace the village’s Locke Street office, which was constructed in the late 1960s and opened in the early 1970s. Village officials noted struggles with flooding at the building, along with a lack of energy efficiency.

“The energy efficiency of this building is gone,” said Mayor James R. Eves.

Plans for the building, put together by Fourth Coast Inc., Clayton, show space for four offices, an archive and a multipurpose room. A basement in the building will offer a storage space for archives, which now are stored at several sites. The building will have parking in the front, side and back.

The new office initially was set to be 4,500 square feet before village officials decided to reduce the space.

“You can’t downsize too much, but I like this size,” said Trustee Daniel P. O’Connell.

Mr. Eves said some of the work to complete the building could be done by town employees, cutting costs from the project.

“If we can stay under a million dollars, I’ll be happy,” he said.

Mr. Eves said that if the village could proceed with a plan on a new building, it could begin to solicit occupants for the current space. Among those options would be state Department of Transportation officials, who could be interested in a space when work begins on a two-year project to renovate the bridge entering the village on Route 180.

With approval received, the village will now pursue grant funding. Among the agencies the village will contact are the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development office.

Mr. Eves said he hopes construction of the building could begin by next year.