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City of Aiken moves into new municipal building

Apr. 20—The city of Aiken officially has a new home.

As of Monday, all city business is now conducted at the new headquarters, located at 111 Chesterfield St. S. in downtown Aiken. The building was formerly home to Regions Bank and the Henderson Hotel.

City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said the first few days have gone "very well."

"We have certainly had a lot of walk-in traffic," Bedenbaugh said, before noting, "the move was pretty uneventful.

"It has been a good move, and I think one in the long-term that will serve us well."

Longtime City Clerk Sara Ridout said the move was a bit bittersweet because she's worked in the old Municipal Building on Park Avenue for decades. However, she's excited to be in the new building as it has more space.

A three-story building, each floor holds different departments. The first floor houses the Planning Department, building inspections, water and property tax payments, business licensing, revenue administrators and tourism offices.

The second floor is home to the city manager's office and administrators, human resources, risk management, IT and economic development.

Conference rooms and storage spaces are spread throughout the building on each floor, giving employees plenty of space.

The third floor is home to the new City Council chambers and the mayor's office. Currently, meetings will still be held at the old Municipal Building while the city awaits delivery of audio/visual equipment due to some supply chain issues, Bedenbaugh said.

The project as a whole cost $13.58 million, Bedenbaugh has previously said.

One early concern raised by some residents is the process of waiting in line to pay their water bills as there are entrances on both sides of the building where people can enter and it can seem unclear where the line starts and stops.

Bedenbaugh said staff is "assessing the space to have the best experience for our customers as it relates to queueing and flow."

The building is open from 8:10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.