Politics & Government
Bel Air Town Hall Renovation: Official Forecasts Completion Date
The Bel Air Town Hall renovation project is on track, a town official reported Tuesday.
BEL AIR, MD — The Bel Air Town Hall renovation project will be complete less than a year from now.
“Everything appears to be on schedule,” Bel Air Director of Public Works Steve Kline said Tuesday.
The project now underway will consist of an 11,000-square-foot renovation and expansion along Hickory Avenue.
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A groundbreaking was held in mid-December.
Phase one of the project, which is the addition, should be complete in October, according to Kline.
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“There might be a little hiccup with BGE,” he said, which is “dragging their feet a little."
BGE needs to run its lines in a certain manner, which could require removal of the town’s magnolia, Director of Planning Kevin Small said.
In the next phase of the project, after October, the Bel Air Police Department will move into the new space while the current building gets renovated.
The whole project is on track to be complete in May 2023, Kline said.
“Everything is coming along,” Kline said, saying the new roof was providing waterproofing. “Windows are coming in the next couple of weeks.”
Offices will be added too, he said.
“It’s really impressive that such a huge project is still on time and on budget with a minor bump with BGE,” Town Commissioner Paula Etting said during the commissioners' work session on Tuesday night. "Given that we’ve had COVID and supply chain [issues] .... it’s very impressive.”
Kline said the town had played a role in the process going so smoothly.
"We as the owners have been pretty cooperative,” Kline said, as far as opening up areas and trying to expedite the project. For example, he said the town had allowed workers into the phase two areas of the project ahead of schedule so they could start working on them.
The current Town Hall houses the Bel Air Police Department under the main level, which presents challenges for staffing, storing evidence and keeping detainees. It is also out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and does not meet law enforcement accreditation standards.
Bel Air Town Hall, which houses both government offices and the police station, has undergone two minor renovations in its nearly 60-year history. Neither expanded the building's footprint.
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