Scranton Town Hall renovations near completion

SCRANTON — Renovations to Scranton Town Hall are scheduled to be finished before long, and Mayor Terry Knotts said he thinks the public will like the final result.

“We’ve got a nice building here that we’re proud of,” he said.

It’s the first major overhaul to the facility since it was built in the 1960s, he said.

The third and final phase of renovations began about a month ago and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. It includes converting the stalls where the town’s fire trucks once parked into a new, more spacious courtroom and council chambers.

“With the little room we had, it was just hard for a large percentage of the population to come out to something and feel comfortable,” Knotts said.

The town hopes to eventually set up computers and hold programs for children and senior citizens, he said.

The building’s south side, where the Town Clerk Kay Floyd has her desk, will become the police department’s offices. Meanwhile, the clerk will move to the middle section of the building, where the water department will be located.

Floyd said the renovations should benefit the town and its employees.

“All the employees here are going to have more room and can spread out more,” she said.

Police Chief Larry Rogers said he hopes to use the new space for community safety meetings, including sessions for crime watch and anti-gang programs.

The new arrangement will give the police department more privacy when conducting interviews for a case, he said.

The final phase of renovations, which is costing about $38,600, is being handled by Bennett Construction LLC of Columbia.

Town council has decided for the past seven or eight years to set aside money from the general budget toward either a new building or renovations, Knotts said.

Estimates for a new building, however, came in at about half a million dollars, so the town decided to improve the facility it has, the mayor said.

“It’s nothing that we’ve had to go out and force the town to pay for renovations, and we haven’t had to borrow any money, so I’m proud of that strategy,” he said.

The first phase of construction, which took place two years ago, was to replace a leaky roof.

The second was to add disabled-accessible bathrooms onto the back of the building, as well as a kitchenette, meeting room and council chambers. This phase was funded through grant money, Knotts said.

During the final phase, the town also plans to repaint and replace the floors in the police department’s future offices and install a window front there that will match the two new ones in the renovated areas, he said.

The town plans to hold an open house or ribbon cutting to let its residents come out and see the changes, Knotts said.