OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Pictured is the new addition to the Arkwright Highway Department Building, which is set to complete construction by the end of September.

ARKWRIGHT — The long awaited completion of the new Highway Department Building in the Town of Arkwright is expected before the end of September.

Plans for a new Town Hall and Highway Department Building have been tossed around for several years before the Town settled on a proposal for an addition to the Highway Department garage. The Town originally planned for a new Town Hall, including the Highway Department garage, office space, and other amenities, but after bids came in well over $1 million above what was expected, the Town pivoted to splitting up the needs of the Town into two separate projects. The Highway Department addition amounts to just over $850,000.

The Town is also planning upgrades to the existing Town Hall building, including siding for cladding and roofing. Despite hesitancy due to several fees paid to architects from CPL for the Highway addition, McAvoy still hopes to consult an architect to advise with the Town Hall upgrades.

“I get that it’s more money, but at the end of the day, it will be done right and we’ll have somebody else helping us with the risks,” McAvoy said. He hopes to make a decision by the next Town Board meeting in September.

McAvoy also gave a financial report for the Town prior to the discussion on building additions.

“We continue to be in good shape,” McAvoy said of the finances of the Town. “We’ve got a sufficient fund balance to run the Town and pay for the rest of the building without any stress whatsoever.”

Speaking of Highway Department additions, the Town Highway Department also recently added an extra pair of hands moving forward. The Town recently approved an additional Highway Department staff member to assist with building projects and other duties within the department. The move was a proactive measure to address attrition the Town Board anticipates in the coming years.

McAvoy was happy that the Town’s offer was attractive enough to lure the employee from another job. “I think it’s a good sign that we were able to actually appeal to somebody, that somebody left another job and came to work for us. I take that as a positive,” McAvoy said.