A Leap into the 21st Century...by Jacki Messineo

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Supervisor LaValle with Vietnam Veterans Memorial in background On a crisp, clear February morning the Great South Bay is to the left and Stony Brook University sits to the right, the view Brookhaven Town Supervisor John Jay LaValle will enjoy each morning from the corner window of his new office, located at the Allstate Building on Bald Hill in Farmingville Long Island's highest peak. The young town leader may now literally see the sprawling town from shore to shore and oversee its operation from one central location.

Last week, Brookhaven Town and Allstate Corp, finalized the purchase of the $21 million new Town hall. The building will house the offices of the Town Clerk, Tax receiver, Supervisor and Town Board.

"This will be Brookhaven Town Hall for the next century," LaValle stated. "I am extremely pleased to offer to our residents and taxpayers, a first-class facility that accommodates the Brookhaven workforce under one roof. The official closing is an historic mark for Brookhaven and directly addresses my administration's goals of a more open Town government."

In comparison, the current Medford complex, located on Route 112, houses ten 15,000-sq-ft. buildings on 15 acres. The new town hall is 221,000 sq. ft, and has an existing 4,000-sq-ft sewage treatment plant. The three story building provides ample room to accommodate 30 Town departments and divisions in the initial 2003 move. The modern facility, which sits on 42 acres, was built in 1978 and underwent major renovations in 1997. The new site will offer tremendous advantages, LaValle said, allowing better exchange between departments and improved communication with residents and taxpayers, as well as increased efficiency and minimal waste.

A user- friendly Welcome/Info Center will be located in the lobby to serve residents upon their arrival. Enhanced security including one main entrance, a video monitoring system and swipe card building access for employees will be beneficial to the new Brookhaven Town Hall.

The 10,000 sq.ft. auditorium on the 2nd floor, overlooking the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, allows for multi-functional community access, including hosting simultaneous Town meetings within the multiple executive conference rooms.

LaValle said that the current Medford complex is inefficient and the new modern facility will create an approximate savings of $300,000 annually for taxpayers. Brookhaven Town is buying the building at a time when its bond ratings are the best they have been in years, enabling the town to obtain low interest rates.

The new Town Hall offers 750 more parking spaces and triple the amount of handicap parking. With the close proximity of the Bald Hill Ampitheatre, town hall parking can be utilized for concerts, and with the town providing shuttle service to the theater in the town's jitney vehicles.

The terms at the closing states Allstate has 120 days from January 29, 2003 to condense its operation to the 2nd floor of the building. Brookhaven Town will then begin the necessary retrofitting of the interior offices utilizing the $25 million bond. An initial physical move could take place as early as August 2003. Allstate Corp will continue to occupy approximately 50,000 square feet of office space on the 2nd floor through an arranged 5-year lease.

Town officials are in the process of selling the existing Medford complex through an open bidding process. No suggested price was listed, but the complex is valued at about $9 million, according to Supervisor John Jay LaValle.