DUMFRIES — Dumfries officials will close on a new town hall building in the coming weeks.
The town will purchase the private office building built in 2008 located next to the current town hall building located at 17755 Main Street. The building will serve as a meeting place for Town Council, boards and commissions, and town administrative offices. A portion of the building is already home to the town’s police station.
There was a need for a new town hall building after two space needs studies in 2008 and an updated space needs study in 2017-2018 found that there wasn’t enough space for vital local government jobs.
“The study showed the administrative staff, department heads and police department needing additional space. The intent was to have [the] police department and town administration all in the same building,” stated said Town Manager Rob Ritter in an email.
“The benefit will be the Town Council and town staff will be in an updated building while providing additional space for current needs and well into the future,” said Ritter. “Administrative staff, community development, and public works will all be in the same office which will allow for easier collaboration between office to get permits out faster. Also, [the] police department is currently in the building which makes it convenient and easier for communications.”
The Town Council approved $5.5 million to finance the purchase of a new building.
The purchase will also put the town into the Real Estate business as it will become landlord to a handful of tenants already inside the building, including a branch of the Greater Prince William Community Health Center.
“The tenants of the building will subsidize the annual payment enough that the Town will not be required to increase taxes,” added Ritter.
There will be new improvements inside of the new building such as a new council chambers, and audio/video system.
“The residents would benefit by having a building that they can all be proud of,” said Ritter. “[It includes] additional seating for citizens, larger reception room, larger offices, filing rooms. One stop shop with tenants include Greater Prince William Area Community Health Center, Inc., Dr. Alf Adler, MD Corporation, J2 Engineers, Inc, Young Marines, a national non-profit 501c(3) organization, STRATEGIC RESIUENCE GROUP, LLC, and Whitney, Bradley & Brown, Inc., a Virginia corporation (WBB).
The address of the new town hall will be 17739 Main Street. The current town hall dates back to 1970.
