Watkins offices will move temporarily

WATKINS GLEN—The Watkins Glen village building is closing for renovations from Dec. 10 to April, 2011.
According to village Clerk Donna Beardsley, all municipal building offices and services will temporarily relocate during this time frame. Beardsley said this will be the first major renovation to the building since it was built in 1939. The renovation will include the installation of an elevator to make the building handicapped accessible, new heating and air conditioning units, plumbing and electrical upgrades, rearranging of offices and security features for the safety of employees.
Beardsley said the cost of the project is estimated to be $1,160,705. Bids specs will be available Dec. 6 and the bid opening for this project will be Dec. 20. Mayor Judy Phillips and the village trustees approved a reserve fund that was established a year ago specifically for the repayment of the bonds for the municipal building renovation project.
While offices will move, bill payments and other mail will still be sent to the same location. All village of Watkins Glen mail should continue to be addressed to 303 N. Franklin St., Watkins Glen, NY 14891. The offices will move to a number of different temporary locations.
The village clerk and her staff will relocate to the Park Office Building at Clute Park during the renovations. The offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 10 and will re-open Monday, Dec. 13 at the Park Office. The phone number will remain the same (607-535-2736) and the hours of operation will continue to be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The police department will relocate, pending approval from the Schuyler County Legislature at their next meeting, to the third floor of the county office building located at 105 Ninth St. The dispatch services remain unchanged and can be reached at 607-535-7181. The justice court will be relocated to 210 12th St., an office in The Arc of Schuyler building. The phone number will still be 607-535-9717.
Village board meetings and planning board meetings will be held in the conference room of the Shared Public Services Building located at 910 S. Decatur St. Beardsley said signs will be put up at the temporary locations to help everyone find the office they are looking for.
“We know that our temporary relocations may cause some confusion and/or accessibility delays and we apologize for any inconvenience you may experience,” said Beardsley. “We will make every effort to assist you as much as possible during our temporary relocation—just give us a call.”