Hinesburg building overhauls could cost town over $12M

A structural rehabilitation to both the Hinesburg town hall and the town’s fire station would cost the town at least $12 million, according to conceptual designs presented to the town selectboard.

The designs, presented to the town selectboard by Steven Roy, with Wiemann Lamphere Architects, suggest making significant renovations to the town hall building — first and foremost to repair its failing roof, but also to expand and accommodate for more community gathering spaces.

The fire station, meanwhile, would either be torn down and rebuilt at its existing location on Route 116, or would be built on the area commonly known as lot 15 in the village, once considered for a Hannaford grocery store.

The designs, and the presentation, can be found at bit.ly/43aW6cz.

The town in August authorized $46,800 for Wiemann Lamphere Architects to make conceptual designs for improvements for both the 120-year-old town hall and the 50-year-old fire station. There has been no structural work on the town hall building for at least 30 years, and its roof is beginning to fail.

“A new fire station has been needed since I’ve lived here ... and I’m sure longer than that, so that’s kind of been brewing,” Merrily Lovell, chair of the selectboard, said. “With the town hall it was just last year when that leak happened and now, we’re all really missing our great hall.”

However, each option would be a costly endeavor for the town. Minimal repairs to the town hall alone would be $3.4 million, and the preferred renovation would cost $6 million, while the fire station will likely cost at least $9 million, according to the conceptual designs.

“I can’t deny that I’m freaking out about the money,” selectboard member Paul Lamberson said.

If the town were to opt for just minimal repairs to the town hall — including structural rehabilitations to the roof, a new elevator, stair components and other improvements to bring the building into ADA compliance — it would cost $3.4 million.

Building an addition to the hall would cost the town $6 million.

“It’s certainly more expensive but it includes 12,850 square feet of new construction,” Roy said, noting that it would include a new community center in the building. “This opportunity for significant municipal presence remains. You have this historic building on this corner; this is a way of extending its life for several more decades.”

The architectural firm narrowed sites for the proposed fire station to its existing location, and lot 15 on Mechanicsville Road. That property is privately owned and would need to be purchased by the town.

That option could be beneficial to the fire department — the department would work out of the old building instead of having to temporarily relocate. Renovations to the existing building would mean they would have to work out of the town garage.

“Operationally, it would be hard,” Hinesburg Fire Chief Nick Baker said at the meeting. “I definitely appreciate not having to purchase property and I think we all want to spend less money but logistically it would be very hard for us to be up there long term.”

Demolishing the existing building and building a new one in its place would cost $9.42 million, Roy said, while building on the new lot would cost either $8.98 million with a wood frame, or $9.32 million with a steel frame.

The town intends to have multiple community input sessions over the next couple of months to get feedback. Both projects could potentially be on the ballot in November or March of next year.