The Municipal Center with the new Village Hall, Village Fire Department, and Village Police Department has opened to use by village trustees and officers. According to Mayor Chance Mullen, construction will likely be completed by March, and the center will fully open in the new year.

Following the Village’s start of the lengthy move-in process into the Center on Dec. 5, the Village Fire Department spent their first full night at the Municipal Center on Dec. 17. The fire department is now only responding to calls to the new building.

One of the largest benefits of this new building is the increased space for local government and emergency services, said Mullen. The center was created

with additional meeting space for the Board of Trustees with separate rooms for executive and regular sessions, the police with a room for private arrest, and for the fire department to park their vehicles. The building also added sidewalk space for firetrucks to easily pull out onto Fifth avenue. Due to increased storage space, the Village Board of Trustees can now also store records dating back to the 1860s.

Police vehicles will be parked on the lower level of the parking garage, and staff vehicles will be on the upper level.

On the roof of the Municipal Center stands a patio space at the corner of Fifth avenue and Third street, overlooking the Pelham Art Center. This outdoor space will open to public use during the warmer months, as stated by Mullen.

Mullen also said that Town Historian Arthur Scinta will be working with the board to showcase the Village’s history on the wall leading to the

meeting room as well as in the limestone tower on the third floor.