Chenango County officials are entertaining a notion to raze the 1960-era office building in Norwich to make way for a new $35 million facility to be built in its place. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NORWICH – The Chenango County Board of Supervisors has taken further steps toward a $35 million project that would ultimately see construction of a new municipal building in downtown Norwich and demolition of the 65-year-old wing that’s currently housing more than a dozen departments.

In spite of opposition from five county board members, the board of supervisors adopted a resolution last month approving $1.7 million in bonds to cover costs of planning and laying out specifications of the project.

The county has yet to borrow money for the project – or even make a formal decision to bring it to fruition – but the latest resolution puts county officials in a position to move forward should that decision be made in the near future.

“We don’t need to borrow that money now. We don’t owe any money. But we need the authority as we go along,” said Chenango County Treasurer Bill Craine.

The notion to borrow any money received pushback from some supervisors who argued that the county isn’t in a position to undertake a major building endeavor. Smyrna Supervisor Michael Khoury led a charge against the project at the board’s June monthly meeting, saying the current space is still structurally sound and that the county would be better off renovating existing space and living within its financial means. Plus the county’s plans of being reimbursed through certain federal programs isn’t a given, he said, especially considering modern political uncertainty.