Old town hall may get second chance

Sparta rejects demolition bids, new council has other plans, By Angela Thies SPARTA - What served as a school for Sparta children circa 1915, was transformed into Sparta’s municipal building in 1935, is now in 2006 about to be razed — or is it? “Last year we put out [demolition] bids, which came in around $100,000, but because the buildings weren’t ready for demolition yet, the bids couldn’t be accepted,” said Sparta Township Manager Henry Underhill. The bids received this year, for the same work, came in at around $147,000, an almost 50 percent increase from last year’s number and too high for Sparta’s town manager and council members to accept. Under the current demolition plan, two of Sparta Township’s municipal facilities are slated to come down - the health and planning offices, and the adjacent municipal building. The 2005 bids were rejected when the new facility was not completed on time because of labor and other problems. The building is almost completed more than three years after its original deadline. At the June 27 council meeting, Underhill said the township may explore the possibility of bringing the demolition project in-house, using municipal employees where possible to complete the project, and contracting only for services where labor or equipment needs could not be met by the town’s resources. “Bringing the project in-house would save a lot of money,” said outgoing Sparta Mayor Ailish Hambel in a later interview. Hambel added that the town manager may not be too anxious to commit to a decision on the demolition project given the recent changes in local government. “He’s got a new council coming in with three newly elected members … which is a huge change in the governing body, and it’s been mentioned that the new council members are going to try and save the town hall.” According to Hambel, the old facility’s problems, ranging from termite infestation, to water problems, and having no boiler or working air conditioning system, make the renovation idea too costly. “For the cost of what it would take to properly renovate the building, they probably could build a new one, cheaper, for whatever reason they want to keep it,” she said. Her opinion is based on studies commissions by the last council that concluded that, given the extensive repairs and expansion required to renovate the existing facility to adapt it to current municipal needs, it would be more cost-effective to build new. Incoming Councilman Manny Goldberg confirmed that he and the other new council members are interested in looking at the possibility of keeping the old building, with the hope that it can be renovated to serve as a community center. He said the renovations would be minimal, not nearly to the degree called for in earlier plans. “Now we’re talking about a totally different approach,” said Goldberg, with regard to renovation. “Originally, plans called for gutting the entire interior of the building, and to expand and repair as necessary, but we’re not talking about anything like that … I think we can do things on a low-cost basis.” Goldberg intends to have engineers investigate cost-effective options for the renovation, so that the building can be used for senior and youth activities. However, he acknowledged serious problems exist with the heating system and the structural damage caused by pest infestation. Municipal officials are currently going through a “final punch list” before moving into their new quarters, which is expected to take place this month. What is done with the old town hall remains to be seen.