By ALLEN LAMAN
alaman@dcherald.com

FERDINAND — The face of Ferdinand could soon receive a lift.

While nothing has been approved, town council members are eyeing a Town Hall renovation that would address the damaged and aging building’s exterior. Replacing siding, repairing the roof and updating other elements could all fall under the project’s scope.

“It was starting to show its age as you looked at it,” Ken Sicard, president of the Ferdinand Town Council, said of why the renovation became a priority. “From a distance, it does not look bad. But then, up close, you could see where the paint was cracking and flaking away and things like that. It was in need of a touch-up.”

A storm that blew through Ferdinand in early April tore siding and guttering off the building and slightly damaged pieces of the structure’s roof. These issues would be addressed through the work.

In a followup message, Sicard wrote that the council would like to “do a complete refresh of the outside of the building.” The Ferdinand town logo could also be added to the front of the town hall, the bricks could be painted and windows could be replaced with energy-efficient counterparts.

“Just kind of changing the outside look of the building some,” Sicard said. “Not major, but it’ll look different.”

Sicard recalled how town government moved inside the current building — which is located at 2065 Main St. and was built in the 1980s — around 2003. Before that, the town hall was located behind American Legion Post 124, which sits at the corner of West Fifth and Main streets.

“It was a big step for the town of Ferdinand to move into the new building, a modernized looking building that was an effective town hall,” Sicard said. “So, we were really pleased with that move. And then now, hey, it’s the thing we point to when we talk about the town of Ferdinand. Our town hall.”

Sicard said the council will push to complete the project before the end of the year. Money is in the budget to complete the work, he said, but he declined to estimate the cost. An architect from Universal Design Associates is working on the final designs for the project — which would require council approval — and after that, the town will bid out the work to contractors.

“The face of the town is very, very important,” Sicard said. “I hear from all kinds of people as they drive through town [about] how well kept the lawns are and [how] clean it is. Well, we’ve got to have that same image when you come to deal with the town government.”

He continued: “So, we’re going to want to have a very good looking building for people to come to to do their business, without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to get there.”

The Ferdinand Town Council’s next meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Ferdinand Community Center, 1710 Community Dr.