MARION — Marion officials made their pitch to voters to approve a new facility for the town’s harbormaster, stating that the upgraded building would replace an aging and inefficient structure at no cost to taxpayers.

A new building would allow the harbormaster to provide “increased support to conduct missions to protect life, safety and property,’’ Harbormaster Adam Murphy said at an informational session held at the Marion Police Department conference room.

Special Fall Town Meeting voters will be asked to approve $1,202,688 for the project. The total cost of the project will be $3,505,688.

Marion’s Fall Town Meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 23 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Sippican School.

Seaport grants and a previous Town Meeting appropriation will cover about $2.3 million of the cost, Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said. The remainder, to be voted on Oct. 23, will come from harbor revenues and will not be paid for by taxpayers, officials said.

The current building was constructed 40 years ago and has a square footage of 225 square feet, which Murphy described as “about the size of two walk-in closets.’’ This space accommodates three full-time and seven part-time employees.

The new facility, at a proposed size of about 1,500 square feet, would allow all functions of the harbormaster’s office to be performed in one place, rather than employees having to divide their time between the current building and Town Hall, Murphy said.

Marion is one of the state’s busiest harbors, Marine Resources Commission Chair Vincent Malkoski Jr. told those in attendance. The harbor has about 1,700 moorings during the summer. In addition, the Beverly Yacht Club hosts events on the harbor almost daily, Murphy said, and Tabor Academy offers active sailing programs. “We have a couple thousand people in and out of that harbor on the weekend,’’ he said.

With the new structure, the department will have ample access and space for emergency gear in one location, which is crucial, Murphy said. Boaters often are struck by the booms of their vessels and experience other medical issues. “Time matters,’’ Murphy said. “Readiness matters.’’

The new facility would be a single story raised about 22 feet off the ground. A raised deck that faces the water will surround the facility, which will also include an elevator to make the structure handicapped accessible, engineers working on the project have said.

Although those attendance at the session offered primarily positive feedback, critics have questioned whether the structure would be able to withstand severe storms, suggesting utilizing a moveable trailer instead, and have questioned the claim that taxpayers will not have to fund the project, because government-funded grants are taxpayer-supported.

Gorman urged voters to approve the project, noting that costs will only rise if the issue is delayed until spring Town Meeting. If voters reject the proposal, Murphy said, the grant funding would no longer be available and “the chances of getting that money back are slim to none.’’