Albion deputy mayor wonders if Visitors’ Center on Main Street would make for better village hall

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Albion Visitor’s Center at 121 North Main St. is currently used as a office building and rented out to Assemblyman Steve Hawley, The Orleans Economic Development Agency and the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern.

ALBION – Village Board members were asked to consider whether the Albion Visitor’s Center would make a better village hall than the current village office at 35-37 East Bank St.

Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley thinks the visitor’s center may be a better building for the village office. The visitor’s center is at 121 North Main St. with more parking and is handicapped accessible with an elevator going to the second and third floors.

She made the suggestion during Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. She didn’t call for any quick action but asked the other board members to go to the Visitor’s Center and try to imagine the possibilities.

“Would it be good for the community (for the village office) to be on Main Street?” she asked. “It’s ADA complaint.”

Tracy VanSkiver, the village clerk-treasurer, said the Visitor’s Center currently makes the village some money, renting out space to Assemblyman Steve Hawley, the Orleans Economic Development Agency, Darlene Benton and the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern. Those rents are about $4,000 a month.

The Village Office is currently located at 35-37 East Bank St., next to the police station on Platt Street.

If the village did move its village office to the Visitor’s Center, the current village office could be used by the Police Department. Police Chief David Mogle said the police department is cramped for space next door at 106 North Platt St.

For example, an interview room is used as an evidence room and for officers to take lunch breaks.

Mogle said the department would still like to keep its space at Platt Street where the interview room has cameras, there is a holding area, processing area and lockers. Having use of the village office would give the department more space for training and make it easier for the public to stop by. Right now there aren’t any public parking spots right next to the police station.

Mogle said the Visitor’s Center “looks like a village hall” as an anchor building in the downtown.

The village has owned the Visitor’s Center since 2002. It took over the 8,061-square-foot building that was in the midst of a big construction project. The former Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce was approved for a $585,000 grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development for the renovation. That grant didn’t cover all the costs and the village stepped in to finish the project.

The building from 1890 was in major disrepair before the Chamber and village took on the project.

The first floor of the Albion Visitor’s Center with Assemblyman Steve Hawley’s district office at left. The suite at right is currently vacant. An elevator provides handicapped accessibility to the second and third floors.