EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Town offices are moving back into the East Hartford Town Hall, as renovations on the building at 740 Main St. are complete, according to a release from the town on Friday.
The Town Hall renovation project began in December 2022, and the scope of the work includes the replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, the modernization of the elevator, new lighting, plumbing and electrical infrastructure, and a new roof, the town said.
Other improvements with environmental benefits include a new gas heating system to replace inefficient oil-burning boilers. Workers have repaired the front entrance, replaced water-damaged ceilings and walls, renovated public bathrooms and completed abatement of hazardous materials.
“This is an exciting time for both town employees and residents. These necessary updates to infrastructure may not look like visible improvements at first glance but will create a safe and healthy environment for our staff, resulting in a higher quality of services for our residents,” East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin said, in the release.
The move will occur in three phases. Phase 1, the reopening of the Town Clerk’s Office, is already complete.
As part of Phase 2, the Mayor’s Office, Human Resources, the Town Council Office, Health and Human Services, the Tax Office, the Assessor’s Office, and Probate Court for the District of East Hartford will all reopen inside the building.
The departments included in Phase 2 will temporarily close to the public on Thursday, May 2, and services will be available online only through Friday, May 3. Visit here to access services online during this time.
Probate Court will close at noon on Thursday, May 2, and electronic filing services will be available here. If immediate assistance is required, residents can contact Chief Clerk Idaliz Gomez at idaliz.gomez@ctprobate.gov.
The Phase 2 departments will reopen to the public on Monday, May 6 at noon, except for the Probate Court, which will reopen that morning at 10 a.m.
Departments including Finance, Purchasing, Grants, Development, Building and Inspectors, Registrar of Voters, and Engineering will continue operating out of the East Hartford Community Cultural Center at 50 Chapman Place. As part of Phase 3, they will close to the public on Thursday, May 16 at 4 p.m. Services will be available online only through Friday, May 17. One can visit here to access available online services during this time.
Services will be available online during the Friday closures to allow the town to physically move furniture, assets, and IT setup.
Boards, commissions, and Town Council meetings that have been scheduled for the CCC Auditorium will be held there through the end of June, but boards and commission meetings scheduled for conference rooms at CCC will move to Town Hall starting on May 13.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will occur in the future, but the date and time have not yet been announced. East Hartford will also launch a pilot program for adjusted summer hours for Town Hall offices on June 1; more details will come, according to the town.
Martin noted in the release that the building faced major issues before the renovations. He is proud of the progress that has been made.
“We had staff with buckets on their desks to catch leaking water, a lack of accessibility for residents with mobility needs, and a building that reflected no pride in our town,” Martin said. “I look forward to welcoming staff and residents back into this new space, with a renewed excitement and hope for the future of East Hartford, and Town Hall will serve as a symbol of this forward momentum.”
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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