The York County town of Hollis cut the ribbon last week on a purpose-built town hall at 34 Town Farm Road that’s nine times larger than the old one.
The previous town hall, at the same site, was a 2,000-square-foot ranch dwelling modified to accommodate the staff.
The new one is 18,500 square feet on two stories. The lower level is primarily for storage and the first floor houses administrative offices for the town manager, town clerk, code enforcement officer, treasurer, tax collector/registrar and select board. A multi-purpose room is designed for town meetings and other community functions.
The $7.5 million was financed by $2.5 million in grant funds, plus general funds and tax increment financing fund accumulation.
The project was initiated following voter approval and overseen by the select board.
The project team included Great Falls Construction of Gorham as the contractor, Custom Concepts Architecture and Northeast Civil Solutions, both in Scarborough and Bennett Engineering in Freeport.
Hollis was incorporated in 1798 and has a population of approximately 4,800 residents, according to the 2020 census.
Town Manager Richard Morin previously told Mainebiz that the former town hall was very tight and had no room for expansion. The new facility has room for growth and capacity for emergency shelter if needed.
Accessibility was a high priority and includes auto-door openers and service counters staged at a level where seated service is available. The parking is handicap friendly. The dual heat pump heating system allows for heat and air conditioning. A generator system also serves the building.
