SILVERHILL, Alabama --- It’s official, the Little Bohemian Hall in Silverhill will soon have a new home, approximately 200 feet from its old home.

The more than 90-year-old structure was shifted off its foundation and sustained extensive damage during a tornado that struck in Silverhill in March of 2011. In May the Town Council voted to proceed with plans to demolish the structure and build a new Community Center, which will be located in the southwest corner of the park.

But after several concerned residents came forward, plans proceeded in August to save the Little Hall and move it to a new location.

During a specially called meeting held Monday, Feb. 13 at Town Hall, a proposal was presented to the Council to move structure closer to the corner of Third Avenue and Fourth Street near the town’s water tower.

Mayor Tim Wilson said at the Town Council’s regular meeting on Monday that he, resident Jim Langley and Frankie Kucera, chairman of the Save the Little Hall Committee, met with and received no objections from the Havel family, who donated the building to the town in the 1970s.

It was also confirmed with the town’s insurance company that, as long as they give the building a new address, it can stay at the park.

So, on Monday, the Silverhill Town Council voted unanimously to proceed with plans to move the structure to its new home at the corner of Third Avenue and Fourth Street, mere feet from where the structure has been for more than 30 years, provided the structure meets the approval of the town’s Planning Commission.

Council member Wayne Gruenloh was not present at Monday’s meeting. Council member Bert Jones was present earlier in the meeting, but was called away and did not vote on the measure.

Also discussed at Monday’s meeting was the building of a fence to surround the structure once it is moved. Installing glass cases to house artifacts for a museum and helping to pay for the removal of debris from the area were also discussed.

In other business Monday, the council rejected bids for the construction of a new community center for the town, saying all the bids were well above estimates for the new structure.

In earlier reports, construction costs were estimated at $110 per square foot or a total of $352,000 for the new structure. The lowest of the eight bids presented at Monday’s meeting provided a base bid of $423,000, plus $75,000 in additional alternates.

The town received an insurance settlement of $157,781.37 from Little Hall. Once construction is completed on the new facility and Little Hall is moved and rebuilt, the town expects and additional $75,000 in depreciation costs.

Superintendent of utilities Steve Williams was asked at Monday’s meeting to get prices on a metal building with estimates of both what it would cost for a basic structure, then subcontracting to finish the building and what it would cost for a finished structure through the company providing the metal building.

Williams estimated a basic metal structure of that size would cost around $60,000 and could be dressed up with brick around the foundation for an additional $10,000.

Additional costs to finish the structure included finishing the interior flooring, ceiling and walls, insulation and providing an air conditioning/heating unit for the structure. Williams estimated total cost for the facility, which would include using town employees for labor, would be around $250,000.

Wilson said part of why the estimates were high was the inclusion of an energy efficient environmentally friendly heating and cooling system in the bid specifications, which ran about $100,000. A more basic heating and cooling system could be installed for around $15,000, Williams said.

In other business Monday the council:

• Voted to approve debt write-off for the utility department.
• Voted to continue Ordinance 395 setting the 2012 sales tax holiday for school supplies Aug. 3-5.
• Met in executive session with Police Chief Kim Wasdin to discuss applications to replace an officer in the department.