MARION — The $4.28 million Marion Town House renovation project will begin on Monday, Sept. 1. 

The renovations will include making the first and second floors ADA compliant with wheelchair lifts, adding fire suppression to all four floors and installing HVAC systems to the first floor offices. 

Town House operations will be temporarily relocated to 14 Barnabas Road at Sippican Park Office during the 10-month duration of the construction, with the new location being referred to as the Town House Annex.

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said that while “there’s no perfect time to do these kinds of projects,” it is ideal to get the renovations done sooner than later due to the rising cost of construction, fire safety concerns because of the absence of  a fire suppression system and because the building doesn’t meet ADA standards.

Gorman emphasized that Marion officials are trying to alert as many residents as possible about the relocation of Town House operations.

“There will be nobody in the Town House during the project, and no one from the public will be allowed in the Town House, so all of our business will be relocated starting the 11th of August,” he said.

From Monday, Aug. 11 through Friday, Aug. 15, the Town House will be closed for relocation and operations will be limited to emails and phone calls.

On Monday, Aug. 18, the Town House Annex will be open for “normal business.”

Drop off boxes for payment will still be available at the Town House at 2 Spring Street until Monday, Sept. 1. After Sept. 1, drop off boxes will be relocated to the Town House Annex at the Sippican Park Office.

Funding for the project was approved at Town Meeting on Monday, May 12, which required a proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion that will temporarily raise taxes in Marion by an additional $64.64 for each household per year during the length of the project.

The total cost of the renovations and temporary relocation is $4.28 million, with the West Bridgewater-based construction company Vareika Construction taking on the project.

While Gorman anticipates that there might be “hiccups” at the beginning of the relocation process, he hopes to “try to make it as seamless as possible.”

“I think it would be ignorant of me to say that it’s not going to affect something. It’s a big move. We’re moving every single person, every piece of furniture, every file is getting moved over to a different place,” he said.

After the completion of the 10-month construction project, Gorman anticipates that the Town House will be in proper shape for regular operations.

“I’m just glad that we had the support of the residents of Marion to move forward, and this is the last big project we need to do at the Town House [then] it’s in good shape,” he said.