The Town of Middleburg recently held a Public Outreach Session to unveil the schematic design plans for the New Town Hall to be located behind the existing Town Office building. The one-story building will contain administrative and police offices, as well as a public meeting space wing - to include the Council Chambers - with public restrooms. The building will be situated between two beautiful green spaces – one being a small pocket park on Marshall Street where the existing Town Office is located and the other being a larger Village Green space located on Pendleton Street. These spaces will be available for use by the public, some Town special events and the community Farmer's Market. The meeting spaces in the Town Hall will be available for use by the public when not required for government operations.

In 2017, the Town Council identified the construction of a new Town Hall as one of its strategic priorities. This was the result of a number of factors, including that the current Town Office, built in 1964, is too small to effectively provide services to the community and to house the Town staff; the Town is leasing separate office space for the Police Department, which is disconnected from the rest of the Town operations; and the existing Town Office building has undergone three mold remediation events, creating health concerns for those spending extended time in the space.

"We are pleased that this building will allow us to serve the public more effectively by providing appropriate space for daily transactions and opportunities for multiple groups to meet at the same time," said Town Manager Danny Davis. In addition to very limited space in the current Town Office, the Town has been renting office space across town for the Police Department for many years, at a cost of nearly $50,000 per year. "Being constructed in 1964, our building is simply no longer capable of meeting our or the community's needs in a safe and efficient manner," said Davis. Currently, three staff members work in the upstairs with no accessible entrance.

The Town takes the financial reality of this project seriously, spending significant time understanding the Town's financial situation and the current interest rate market. "The Middleburg Strategic Finance Committee has reviewed the Town's finances in conjunction with Davenport Public Finance, the Town's financial advisors, and confirmed the project can be funded without the need to increase taxes on the Town's residents," Davis added.

The project has now entered the design development phase. A second public outreach session for public review and comment will be held in June once those plans are available. "If all goes as planned, the project will be put out to bid in October, with groundbreaking occurring in January of 2022. Our goal is to introduce the new facility to the public in January of 2023 if all goes according to schedule," according to Rhonda North, Town Clerk and the Project Lead.

For more information on the project or to view the Public Outreach Session video, visit the Town's website at www.middleburgva.gov/townhall or contact Mrs. North at (540) 687-5152.