Come this summer, the newly renovated Aikens Annex at Windham Town Office will be open to the public.
Since December, River Road Common LLC has been remodeling the old 1950s annex to make space for the Town Clerk, Tax Collector and Town Manager’s offices now housed in the adjoining Town Office building.
In recent years, office and lobby space in Windham Town Office has become increasingly cramped and town officials have eyed the annex as possible space to expand.
Owner of River Road LLC, Ed Woodbury, offered last spring to renovate the annex at a fraction of the cost by bypassing architectural design work and instead relying on Woodbury’s own design and vision of the project.
So far, Woodbury said he’s been able to stay under budget and is pleased with the result. And people, who have wandered in off the street for a peek, seem to be pleased as well, he says.
“Everybody’s just thrilled,” Woodbury said. “And they’re thrilled because of the price, which is much less than the previous sales pitch of a million dollars. No matter how this shakes out, this is extremely affordable space.”
His construction company replaced windows, tore down walls, leveled off the floor, put in a new drop ceiling and lighting, and installed new plumping, heat, electricity and security.
Once the renovation is complete, the cost to the town should be less than $300,000.
“Nothing’s impossible. You just have to get it done,” Woodbury said. “And this is not remodeled space. Effectively, it’s brand new.”
Once complete, the entrance to the annex will become the main entrance of the Town Office.
Service windows, like one might see in a bank, will allow residents to file for licenses, pay taxes and apply for passports as is now done on the third floor of the main building next door. But thanks to the wide annex lobby, no longer will residents have to wait in long lines that have wound down the third-floor stairs on busy days at the Windham Town Office. The benches in the new lobby will also give the public a place to sit and wait.
“It’s good quality space,” says Town Manager Anthony Plante. “It should be a big improvement for not only the staff, but for the public, too.”
An interior stairwell and handicap lift inside the annex will allow access to the second floor of the main Town Office building.
As offices are moved to the annex, other offices such as code enforcement may expand to make best use of the vacant space.
Windham resident Bob Benson is wary of spending taxes on municipal projects. He believes more office space means more government employees and more tax dollars from the pockets of local residents. But a renovation is far more palatable to Benson than building a new town hall.
“I think it’s well done,” said Benson who toured the renovation Friday. “If we’re going to spend the money, then we should do it wisely like this.”
This entrance to the Aikens Annex will soon become the new main entry into Windham Town Offices as renovations wrap up and town offices moved in the annex space.Send questions/comments to the editors.
