BY ADAM ATKINSON

North Country This Week

CANTON — A needs assessment of the municipal building says that a rehab project could cost as much as $7.9 million.

But a new building with town and village offices and police station could run as high as $11.2 million, according to the recently completed study by Bernier, Carr and Associates Architects & Engineers of Watertown.

Village and town officials held a joint meeting Monday, Nov. 18 to hear a presentation by the firm on the findings of the analysis, which cost the town and village $19,000 plus $500 in expenses.

The municipal building at 60 Main St. currently houses offices for town and village departments, Canton court, Canton police and the Canton Chamber of Commerce. It adds up to a total of 11 departments with 250 people as primary occupants, and 104 secondary-use occupants, the study determined.

The structure, built in the 1960s, is showing its years, both in terms of wear and tear and in increasingly inadequate space needs as the local municipal system evolves and grows.

BCA listed current square footage at 13,449, but said a new building allowing adequate space needs for modern working government systems would top 21,000 square feet with another 5,489 set aside for storage.

Some of the problems revealed in the assessment were well-known to those who use the building. Facade weathering, original 1960s era windows which are probably not very energy efficient, and inadequate mechanical systems to provide heat and climate control are all on that list.

Other more pressing concerns are non-code compliant plumbing, inadequate security for the police department which has to bring detainees through the main building entrance, court access, and lack of ADA compliance for handicapped accessibility to the court level.

The report makes recommendations to address those issues and others in the court.

However, the firm recommends the best outcome would be construction of a new building.

“The current municipal building is inadequately sized and designed to suitably meet the needs of the departments that reside in it,” the study said.

“We recommend that the town/village consider constructing a new facility on either the existing site or a new site that will better accommodate the current and future needs of the departments,” said BCA.

Another option, the firm said in its assessment, would be to utilize about 3,200 square feet of space at the county’s Human Services Building. “This space could be considered for relocating a specific function or department, freeing up space in the existing building,” the assessment said.

The village and town boards are expected to review the findings of the plan further and discuss the options at future meetings.