The City of Bicknell held a ribbon cutting and dedication Friday for its new city street department building.

Mayor Thomas Estabrook said the old facility had outlived its usefulness and was no longer adequate for the city’s needs. “It had a lot of issues with HVAC. We didn’t have heating in all the bays. It was old,” he said. “City services have changed, and we knew it was time to update.”

A good crowd was on hand for the event which also included an open house at the new facility located at 201 East White River Avenue.

Estabrook said the new building represents the city’s broader goal of continued progress. “It’s difficult to ask others to invest and improve if we’re not doing that ourselves,” he said. “This shows we’re serious about improving city services and making them more effective.”

The project cost about $670,000 in total. Roughly $550,000 came from the American Rescue Plan, with the remaining $120,000 covered by city funds. “We didn’t have to borrow any money, and we already owned the land, so the timing was right,” Estabrook said.