Athens figuring out how to renovate hall and library space
Village offices, library will move into new building in a few months
Village of Athens officials estimate the former U.S. Bank building that is being remodeled into the new municipal center to house the village clerk’s office, police department and public library, will be finished by the end of October. Before the move, the Athens Village Board wants to decide how the future empty space in the current municipal center should be utilized.
Progress Athens, a grassroots organization comprised of Athens residents formed in 2021, announced in March it reached its fundraising goal of $400,000. It gifted the village of Athens the money so it could purchase and remodel the former U.S. Bank building to house the new municipal offices and library.
This village will also use this money to renovate the Athens Community Hall and the leftover library space in the current municipal hall. Renovations include constructing a handicap accessible ramp from the community hall into where the library is currently located at the back of the municipal hall. Handicap accessible bathrooms would also be built in the current library space.
The Athens Village Board’s public property committee met on Monday night again after the regular village board meeting to tour the community hall and the public library. Village board members Randy Decker, Tami Schreiner, Tyler Socha, Chris Guden, Taran Brodziski and Cody Thorson, along with village clerk Lisa Czech, discussed whether a kitchen should be constructed next to the stage inside the community hall or in the library space next to the hall. Village board member Chris Perkins was not in attendance at Monday’s village board or public property committee meetings.
Dilapidated mens and womens downstairs bathrooms will be closed off during renovations in the community hall, which was built in 1937. The upstairs bathroom in the front southeast corner of the community hall will remain.
Board members wondered during Monday night’s tour whether there could be an area either in the community hall or library space for a new storage area to be built for the chairs and tables. The chairs and tables are currently stored on the community hall stage, making it difficult for people to carry them off the stage onto the gym floor during events.
Village board members are still unsure whether boys and girls locker rooms should be constructed in the library space for Athens Middle School students to use during sports practices and games. Athens School District currently pays the village of Athens $15 an hour to use the community hall gym floor for middle school practices and games. The school district doesn’t have an extra gym on its property.
The village of Athens this week began advertising on its Facebook site to see if there is a business that is interested in renting 2,000 or 3,000 square feet of office space in the current municipal building. Once the village board has a better idea on its renovation plans for the community hall and the available space in the library, then it’ll contact Progress Athens to receive input.
The Athens Village Board on Monday approved hiring the following companies for work in the new municipal building that is the former U.S. Bank: Punke Building and Remodeling in Mosinee at $45 per hour for the finish work, Comstock in Medford for $6,785 to install gutters and fascia, Entrance Technologies in Wausau for $3,270.90 to install a handicap accessible controller on the front door and Office Enterprises in Weston to provide new assembled office furniture including tables, desks, chairs and lockers for a total of $9,100.
