By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
RED BAY- A little more than a year after a fire claimed Red Bay's City Hall and Police Department, city officials finally have a place to conduct business as the City of Red Bay moved into their new offices Friday afternoon.
Construction of the new city hall began in late December. While the construction crew still has a few finishing touches to make, the city hall is complete, and is occupied by city employees.
City Clerk Linda Holcomb said that the floors will be finished next week and the podium in the courtroom will be refinished. Other than those few minor details, the city hall is complete.
The new city hall is 4,200 square feet, and has meeting rooms, a break room, and a courtroom in addition to the new office space for the employees.
The new building cost the city $534,000, which was paid through grants and insurance funds from last year's fire, Mayor Jeff Reid said.
While the facility is spacious, it is also energy-efficient. The facility has R-38 insulation in the walls of the ceiling to conserve energy, as well as energy-efficient lighting and windows, Reid said.
"This is the most insulation in almost any building," Reid said.
The City of Red Bay received a grant to from the State of Alabama to make the city hall energy efficient.
The office furnishings were purchased through the Alabama Criminal Institute, where inmates built the furniture with no cost for labor. The furnishings cost the city right at $23,000, Reid said.
"The idea is that when you purchase items from the state it goes into the general fund and is re-issued to the citizens through grants," Reid said.
Outside the building, there is fresh landscaping, and parking areas in the front and rear of the building.
"We plan to expand on out, and make more room for parking on the side of the building," Reid said.
The city employees will spend the next week or so settling into their new space. Meanwhile, across the street, the police department is anxiously awaiting the completion of their new police department, which is scheduled to be done by mid-September.