By Demi Guo
Great Neck Estates trustees voted unanimously to launch the pre-design phase for the next village hall on Monday night.
Architect Stuart Narofsky said the board should “proceed very cautiously.” This stage means analyzing the stylistic design and coming up with a feasible cost before moving forward.
The trustees said repairs on the current village hall have cost more than a million dollars over the last 20 years.
Narofsky said the village’s goal should be to make a new building that would be more environmentally stable and energy-efficient.
“This building will cost zero dollars per year,” said Mayor William D. Warner. “Less of the heating and carbon footprint. This is a money-maker.”
Narofsky Architecture’s concept plan calls for a green roof, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and other features.
Usable space may expand from 6,000 square feet to 10,000. This building would also have a full basement and courtroom, which the current hall lacks, and house all the village’s public departments. That includes the police department.
Narofsky and the trustees said it is far too early in the process to give a cost estimate for the new hall. They did say that the current police department could be repurposed, with the current village hall being sold to foot the new hall’s bill.
Possibilities for the latter include turning it into a residential property that maintains its historical style.
Narofsky said that remediation of the current village hall would cost upwards of $800,000, and it would still be undersized and inefficient.
The new location would also probably be placed toward the commercial end of town at a site where police cars usually park.
“They are endeavoring to do this excellent example of how to build this very sustainable facility,” Narofsky said.
