NORWICH – Excess foundation water and a crumbling rear support wall encountered during renovations will delay the completion of new office space for the county’s social services department until November.
The $2.3 million overhaul of the century-old jail and sheriff’s office on West Park in the city, begun in February, was to be complete this month.
The project is on budget, however, said City of Norwich Supervisor Linda E. Natoli. The supervisor of city Wards 4, 5 and 6 serves on the Chenango County Buildings and Grounds Committee and is the project’s liaison for the board of supervisors.
Natoli said all but two rear additions – one for an elevator and the other for stairs and a second story walkway adjoining the two buildings – will be finished in October.
The two buildings will provide mostly administrative office space for the Chenango County Department of Social Services. The work included demolishing the jail cells to separate the two structures; replacing the columns, porches and porticos of the former sheriff’s office; a new roof and windows; masonry repairs; and extensive interior renovations that created multiple offices, lobbies, storage rooms and restrooms.
The buildings will accommodate the commissioner’s office, data processing, fraud investigation, legal, accounting, employee training and the divisions Family and Children’s Services, Income Maintenance and Child Support and Coordinated Children’s Services. There is a supervised visitation area complete with a kitchen and computer training space for teaching independent living skills to youths in foster care. A total of 31 employees will move over from the County Office Building across Court Street.
Much of the original wood mouldings, staircases, railings, window frames, archways, fireplaces, doors, bricks and stone exterior was kept where possible. A sage green paint was selected for the Sheriff’s Office columns and decorative trims to mimic the patina of the Chenango County Courthouse located across the street in West Park.
DSS Commissioner Bette Osborne said the project has taken about 10 percent of her time over the past two years. She is currently targeting a November move-in date, and expects to be fully functioning in the new offices by year’s end.
A chain reaction of office switches will then commence. Once DSS vacates the second floor of the 1991 north wing of the County Office Building, government departments currently on the third floor of the original 1960 building, including the supervisors’ boardroom and clerk’s office, will move to the vacated DSS floor, leaving the entire third floor for offices of the New York State Sixth Judicial District Office of Court Administration.
Karen Ambrozik, the newly-appointed executive assistant to District Administrative Judge Judith F. O’Shea, said more space is needed on the third floor to accommodate judges, clerks, secretaries and conference and courtrooms. However, she said there no date has been established for making those renovations.
“The space is certainly needed, but we recognize that the county is working into their new space. We continue to have conversations about the transition. It is certainly not off our radar,” she said.
Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law said last week that he hoped the judicial district would find space for the court’s law library on the third floor. Chenango County currently pays about $24,000 a year to lease space for the collection in the Masonic Temple on West Main Street.
“Why wouldn’t we have them pay us for the lease?” he asked.