Free-flowing champagne, tons of delicious food and a big, red ribbon were all used to mark the occasion as Addison Township officials hosted an open house April 28 to show off their new 10,900-square-foot hall in Lakeville.

Officials from Oakland County government and surrounding townships, along with Addison residents, jam-packed the spacious hall to take a tour, socialize and help Addison celebrate this community milestone.

Many of them had nothing but praise for the new facility, which houses the township offices and meeting room along with the Oakland County Sheriff’s substation and an attractive community room.

“This is fantastic,” said Undersheriff Mike McCabe. “(Supervisor) Bruce (Pearson) and the township board have done a phenomenal job. (The old hall) was a disaster for many years. It’s been in need of replacement. It’s just unbelievable what’s occurred here. The new substation is something to be proud of. It’s accessible to the public. We couldn’t be happier.”

“I think it’s really nice,” said Addison resident Su Hatfield, who serves on the library board. “It’s a good use of the space and they didn’t go overboard. I like that. They could have really gone over the top, but they didn’t.”

“I think it’s beautiful,” said county Commissioner Mike Spisz (R-Oxford). “It’s much different (than the previous hall). A big improvement. The other one was old and dilapidated, so it’s good to see something new. There’s no more leaky roofs like they had in the old facility.”

County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Pearson performed a ribbon-cutting ceremony together.

With a large pair of blue scissors in-hand and Pearson by his side, Patterson snipped the ribbon.

“It feels great (to have been involved),” Patterson said. “It’s such a beautiful building. “This is really evidence of great progress. The building is brand new and shiny, and a lot of great business will be conducted here with the supervisor, Mr. Pearson.”

“It was a long process, but for us, this is a big thing,” Pearson told the crowd. “We’ve really improved Addison Township and we’re very proud of this.”

Pearson said the project was done according to the Oakland County motto “under budget, ahead of schedule.”

The supervisor credited his fellow township officials and Addison’s employees for making everything go so smoothly.

He noted he’s tried to follow Patterson’s example by surrounding himself with “the very best people.”

“In Addison Township, we have (done this),” he told the crowd. “That’s why we’re so successful. It’s not me, it’s all the people around me who make me look good every day. They do a great job.”

Prior to the new facility, Addison’s hall was a former elementary school that was more than 60 years old and in need of approximately $600,000 worth of repairs. It was dark, poorly laid out, cramped, outdated and had a roof that leaked like a sieve.

“We can walk in and not feel like we’re walking into a dungeon – the smelly old place that it was,” said Addison resident Linda Hodges. “I love it (now). It’s beautiful.”

“It’s like we’ve always worn hand-me-downs and finally got a new dress,” said Leonard Village Councilwoman Char Sutherby. “You feel good when you’re in here. It’s not depressing. It’s not old. You can be proud of it.”

“They really needed a new building . . . (The old one) was designed to be a school. It wasn’t designed to be an office,” said Bob Godkin, a proud Addison resident for 81 of his 82 years. “The township supervisor, Bruce, he did an excellent, excellent job overseeing this.”

“We’re in the 21st century now,” said Patricia Cendrowski, a 22-year resident of Addison.

The new township hall was built for $1.76 million, well under the $2.4 million budget.

Residents were very appreciative of how well the township managed the financial end of the project.

Addison resident Mary-Beth Kurschat said, “Bruce Pearson does a terrific job. Everything he does is under-budget and economical. He’s really careful with our tax dollars and we appreciate that. I feel real proud to be in Addison Township.”

During a toast, Pearson thanked a number of individuals and organizations for donations that allowed for such a cost-effective construction project.

Approximately $90,000 worth of labor and materials for the building’s roof was donated by the Orion-based Royal Roofing Company.

The dais in the township board meeting room was donated by Oxford Township and re-purposed, saving the township about $15,000. The stone fireplace in the community room was built using donated labor.

The township also received a $1,289 rebate from DTE Energy for installing energy-efficient LED-lighting throughout the building and a $5,000 grant from its insurance carrier to help pay for the hall’s surveillance cameras and monitors.

“There were a lot of good donations and it shows a lot of community spirit,” said Leonard resident Harry Neely. “It’s absolutely amazing what they’ve done (in) a little, tiny place like (this)) and with a very small population . . . Now, it looks like a big city, sincerely. We really have to give Bruce a lot of credit for having put this together.”

Patrick Findlan, a representative from Partners in Architect, PLC in Mount Clemens, the architectural firm behind the building, was quite pleased with the result.

“It’s much more functional,” he said. “The spaces are more open, the offices are larger and the daylight comes in much better than it did before.”

Jaema Berman, director of the Addison Township Public Library, said she expects great things from the new space.

“It’s a fresh start for the community,” she said. “It’s a wonderful improvement and I think it’s going to serve the community for a long time to come. It gives everybody a real positive (image of) this community.”

According to Pearson, the township will be making further improvements to the hall by adding a sledding hill, ice-skating rink, gas fireplace and baseball field to the property.

All of the food and beverages for the open house were donated. No tax money was expended for the event.

Leader Editor C.J. Carnacchio contributed to this story.