AFTON – An undertaking to relocate Afton Town Hall from its historic location on Main Street to a larger, more efficient building is getting a monetary boost from Constitution Pipeline.

Afton was awarded a $15,000 grant from Constitution Pipeline last week, making a small dent in the $393,500 project. The new town hall will provide additional space for the municipal offices and expanded space for the town court, which is currently constrained in a very small space.

The move will also eliminate parking issues in downtown Afton on evenings when town meetings are held. Renovations to the new location will begin later this month.

Williams Constitution Pipeline provides the Community Grant Program to assist projects and initiatives in communities along the proposed pipeline route. To date the program has provided $1.8 million in grants through six grant rounds.

“We were very thankful to Constitution Pipeline for their generosity in providing us with that grant. It certainly helps in securing the acquisition and building the new town hall complex,” said Afton Town Supervisor John Lawrence.

In a 377-101 vote earlier this year, Afton residents favored a proposal that the Afton Town Supervisor enter a contract to purchase an 8,000 square foot property, formerly owned by the company IVCI. That agreement was finalized last Thursday.

The new location will house town business offices as well as the Afton Town offices.

In 2014, the town also received $100,000 in grants through the office of former State Senator Tom Libous for the purpose of buying and renovating the building. Afton Board members plan to use grants to leverage $200,000 the town already has in a building reserve account. Add to that another $40,000 they set aside after selling a parcel of town-owned property to the Afton School District in 2006, and another $40,000 state grant received last year for modifications to the court facilities.