Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD – Municipal officials are getting settled into their new office space at the Fort Fairfield Community Center.
While the Parks and Recreation Department and the Fire Department had already been in the Community Center, located at 18 Community Center Drive, the Police Department, Town Office, Chamber of Commerce, and Council Chambers are now situated inside the former armory, as well. The Community Center was built in 1950.
“The building that we were previously in [227 Main St.] was actually two buildings,” said Town Manager Dan Foster. “One was built in 1916, and then in the mid- to late 1970s, we added a structure onto it. We were located in the add-on part, but we were still responsible for maintaining the 1916 structure that we were no longer using.
“We had a number of issues with that building. One being that we were only using about 3,000 square feet of the building, and it was costing us an incredible amount of money to maintain and heat it,” he said. “We burned 9,000 gallons of fuel oil … it was ridiculous. Plus there were some structural issues, so we were looking at how we could either accommodate our needs in the building we were in downtown – plus cutback on energy costs – or if that didn’t seem feasible, what it would cost for us to relocate.”
Eighteen months ago, the town began the process to determine which option would make the most sense.
“We got a planning grant, we put together a citizens committee and met and looked at our options,” Foster said. “The recommendation to the Council from the citizens committee was that they felt we would utilize some of the space at the old armory – the Fort Fairfield Community Center – and then we would add 25,000 square feet onto the structure and relocate the Town Office and the police station to that area.
“We had just put in a brand new heating system in that building and it was determined that it has more than enough capacity to handle our needs with very little increase in heating costs,” he said of the Community Center.
The 1916 structure had most recently housed the fire department, but issues with the flooring forced the department to a new location.
“We had an engineering firm come in and they felt that the floor was not structurally sound to support fire trucks, so we relocated them up to the armory,” said Foster.
The armory, which was previously owned by the state of Maine, was deeded to the town in 2004.
The 25,000 square foot addition began this spring, and crews are presently doing last-minute touchups. The town had a budget of $800,000.
“The bottom floor is the police department,” said Foster, “and the top floor is the Town Office, which also includes the Chamber of Commerce.
Municipal employees moved Friday, Nov. 30, and their first official day in their new location was Monday, Dec. 3.
“The move went very smoothly,” said Foster. “We used the Public Works Department to actually move the stuff. Everyone worked very well together to make the transition smooth.
“This is such a big improvement over what we had,” he said. “The employees are ecstatic. We have more space, it’s better laid out, and we’re all under one roof, which is nice. It’s easier to find people.”
There was one glitch, however, that could have posed problems, but fortunately didn’t.
“We went nine days without phones,” Foster said of the problem with Verizon. “It was unbelievable. The police department and the Town Office did not have phones. It didn’t affect emergency services since people can call 9-1-1, but it was inconvenient for the citizens and it certainly was frustrating for staff.”
Foster said the Community Center is the “focus of our recreational program.”
“We’ve got the ballfields on one side of us, the swimming pool, tennis courts, ice skating rink on the other side. The library is across the street, and part of this project included putting a sidewalk from Elm Street to Milk Street. We’ve got lights lighting it up, and we’re really creating a campus-like environment for community services,” he said. “This summer we’ll be getting the landscaping done. It’s a beautiful area, and I think the citizens are going to really enjoy having this space.”
