Mayor Dan Champagne and the Vernon Town Council will celebrate completion of the renovation and modernization of the Citizens Block building on Park Place with an open house on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 3 to 7 p.m. All are invited.
Citizens Block, built in 1879, anchors the west end of Park Place, which is home to four municipal buildings, including Town Hall. The renovated Citizens Block will house the building department, fire marshal, planning and development, engineering and youth services. The probate court, now located in town hall, will also move to Citizens Block. A first-floor community meeting room will also be available.
“The renovation of Citizens Block preserves and greatly enhances a historic building in our downtown, provides new office space for several town departments and makes transacting town business more convenient for our residents by having most town offices on Park Place,” Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said. “The newly renovated Citizens Block is also a great addition to our new state-recognized cultural district, which includes a variety of historic buildings, including town hall and the nearby Rockville Public Library.”
How to best use Citizens Block has been discussed since the town took possession of the building in 1998.
Mayor Champagne saw the Citizens Block as a way to resolve facility challenges the town faced. New space was needed for the departments housed at 55 West Main St., an old wooden building that would require an extensive upgrade. The town clerk’s office at town hall also needed more space. Moving the probate court to Citizens Block would make room in town hall to expand the town clerk’s vault.
“Renovating Citizens Block made the most sense and enables us to address other situations,” Mayor Champagne said. “I am grateful to the town council and our boards and commissions that reviewed and approved plans for the project.”
Work to improve Citizens Block began around 2014 when the town obtained a state grant to improve the building’s façade. Stabilizing the building and renovation and reconstruction began in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed work and drove up prices, requiring town officials to revisit and revise their plans.
Work included remediation of hazardous materials, gutting of each floor, installation of new structural supports, construction of an addition for an elevator and code-compliant stairwell, a new entry way, a new roof, all new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, new electrical service, new plumbing, insulation and other work necessary to bring the building up to code and prepare the office space.
Substantial work was completed by employees from the public works and water pollution control departments. Contractors handled a variety of specialized tasks. Capital improvement funds and federal pandemic relief grants were used to finance the project.
“Moving most of our town departments to Park Place is a step forward in our vision of a dynamic and vibrant Rockville,” Town Administrator John W. Kleinhans said. “It is our belief that building out Park Place and revitalizing the mills into housing will help transform Rockville, spur economic development and benefit the all of Vernon.”
Town departments will begin the move to the renovated Citizens Block later in September.
Citizens Block has stood in Rockville for 149 years and is an example of Rockville’s evolution from a mill village to a factory city, said Jean Luddy of the Vernon Historical Society and Vernon’s town historian. The building was named in honor of Rockville’s citizens. The first floor housed a variety of businesses over the years, including a grocery store and the Rockville post office. The second and third floors were apartments.
“I am proud that we were able to save this truly remarkable building,” Mayor Champagne said. “It will be a centerpiece of Rockville and will serve our residents and community for decades to come.”