Stockbridge Township Hall renovations complete after year-long construction project
Information provided by Mandy Urquhart, Stockbridge Township Deputy Clerk
In 2023, after more than 50 years, the Stockbridge Township Hall meeting room, kitchen and two bathrooms were fitted with a much-needed facelift. The renovations, which started in the fall 2022, were completed in December 2023.
The Township board budgeted $200,000 for the renovation out of the $272,328.68 ARPA funds they received from the State of Michigan. The total cost of the renovation came to $191,976.51.
“It was more than just a cosmetic facelift since the meeting room, kitchen and two bathrooms were below grade and subject to severe deterioration if potential problems were not caught in time,” Mandy Urquhart, Stockbridge Township Deputy Clerk, Planning Commission Chair and Election Coordinator. “Since it had been roughly 50 years since the last update, and the bones of the building were in unknown conditions being hidden behind paneled walls, it was important to dig into the infrastructure and peel back the walls and ceilings of that portion of the building to make sure it stands another 100 years.”
The work, completed by Gary Green Construction, was the same contractor that renovated the Township Hall offices in 2020.
Gary and his crew carefully removed the old walls, floors, windows and old kitchen. They then worked their magic giving the spaces a more historic feel, well suited for such a grand building. The new features include: leaving the brick exposed, handmade custom register covers and beadboard ceilings.
“The biggest feat was the restoration of the massive 300-year-old wood beams that hold up the building,” Urquhart said. “They were painstakingly stripped of paint, restoring them to their natural glory.”
A special bonus was the return of the original oak upright piano back to the Township Hall.
All the spaces are now safe and sound, with state-of-the-art features and breathtakingly beautiful!
The Township Board used the additional ARPA funds to renovate the Senior Center building, adding two additional weather sirens to the area, and the board donated $25,000 to SAESA for new equipment.
