Irmo is getting money for a new town hall while plans to build a downtown have reached a full stop.

According to Mayor Barry Walker, the town received a $500,000 appropriation grant from the state for the new facility, something which it has been eyeing for a while. A new town hall was initially intended to be included in a project intended to bring a downtown area to the municipality, but efforts to complete that controversial project have ceased, the mayor told the Chronicle.

The new town hall will cost roughly $3.5 million to construct.

Walker told the Chronicle that during Town Council’s regular June 27 meeting, it will vote to solicit bids from architecture and engineering firms for the new town hall design, adding thatit should have bids by July or August.

“It’s not gonna be tomorrow, which is what I like to have,” he said. “But it’s gonna take a couple months to get all those pieces and parts that are moving, moving in the same direction.”

Irmo has secured a location next to the town Police Department for the new town hall. The property was donated by the Irmo Fire District. 

Town Administrator Courntey Dennis said council also approved the purchase of an adjacent property that will potentially be used for parking.

Council began making moves to prepare for the proposed downtown development, to be located near Irmo Community Park, late last year, but was almost immediately hit with pushback from residents of the predominantly Black area, who did not want to be displaced.

Walker told the Chronicle that the downtown project has reached a full stop, with the leftover $700,000 allocated to the effort set to be repurposed and put into the general fund. He added that the town is looking at repealing the ordinance approving the development, which would put a formal stop to the project.

“I consider that a full stop. I mean, we didn't do the right thing of getting buy-in from the neighbors,” Walker said. “And because of that, they came out and revolted, said, ‘No we don't want you to take our land.’”

Walker said the town will keep the 1.82 acres of land purchased for the project, potentially using it to expand the park.

According to Walker, his relationship with state Rep. Nathan Ballentine and state Sen. Dick Harpootlian helped get an earmark in the state budget for the new town hall, adding that he had originally asked for $1 million.

“When I need something for our town, when I need to bring the bacon home for our town. I know who to contact,” he said. “I have that relationship that when I call them, they'll call me back or text me back. If I was a real jerk and they didn’t like me, I'm sure they wouldn't even consider that.”

Walker told the Chronicle that he is also seeking a federal appropriation, having spoken to Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham and Rep. Joe Wilson. The mayor said he is waiting to see if the town will receive just over $1.6 million in funds.

Grants are often used by the town to maintain the town’s $6 million budget reserve and keep it from taking on debt, Walker said, noting that Irmo recently received grants for new vests and walkie talkies for the police department, which saved the town about $400,000.

As to the old town hall, Walker said Irmo won’t tear it down, instead looking to repurpose it, with one option being to turn it into a museum.

Walker said that Dunbar Funeral Home on Woodrow Street has multiple town artifacts that can be dated back to the 1920s, and the town could use a museum to highlight its history in one central place.