The additions to Falkville Town Hall will include a new courtroom (shown), an evidence room, patrol room, filing room, chief’s office, waiting area, new conference room and recepitonist area. The project, which started in January, is expected to be completed by the third week of August. | Joy Harris

The Falkville Town Hall courtroom renovations are nearing completion, with the expected finish date in the third week of August, according to Mayor Bob Ramey.

The town council approved a bid from ReidCo General Contracting of Vinemont to take on the project back in January. The initial contract gave ReidCo 150 days to complete the renovations, but lag-time in shipping steel to construct the building caused the contract to be reevaluated from the time construction was able to start during the third week in March.

“They are constructing a steel building with a brick façade,” Ramey said. “Since the steel took longer than expected to be delivered to the site, we rearranged the contract, so they had 150 days from the time the steel came in before they would be penalized. We came to a sort of ‘gentlemen’s agreement.’”

The project includes a 21,000-square-foot addition to the existing town hall. This addition will house a new courtroom and council chambers with restrooms. The original courtroom will be renovated for police department use with an evidence room, filing room, patrol room, chief’s office, waiting area, new conference room and reception area.

“The police quarters are really getting an update,” said Town Clerk Dawn Estes. “Right now they are cramped into tiny rooms with hardly any storage space. This renovation will give them more space to work with and will accommodate for their responsibilities accordingly. They are really getting a much needed upgrade.”

The courtroom bench that was being used prior to the construction will be reinstalled into the new courtroom.

Currently, the only hold-up in the project is the need for more material for the roof.

“They are finishing the inside now,” Ramey said. “They are having to wait on more materials to finish up the roof, but they said once that is in, the rest should be quickly finished up. We are hoping to be back in it by our first September meeting.”

Ramey said he was part of a walk-thorough with the architect and contractors Tues., July 7. He reported minor electrical changes needed to be made, but the construction was coming along according to plan.

The run-off election July 15 will be held before construction is complete, so voting will take place in the conference room at town hall.

The additions to Falkville Town Hall will include a new courtroom (shown), an evidence room, patrol room, filing room, chief’s office, waiting area, new conference room and recepitonist area. The project, which started in January, is expected to be completed by the third week of August. | Joy Harris