Cornice work, new signage, and an upgraded canopy possible if funding allows

By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

As part of Berlin’s upcoming Town Hall renovations, the municipality’s Historic District Commission last week approved facade improvements to the structure, including a new double entry door, cornice work, enhanced signage, and an elongated, updated canopy.

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall and Daniele Haley of Haley Architecture, the West Ocean City firm handling the initiative’s design and engineering, appeared before Berlin’s Historic District Commission on Dec. 3 seeking approval for the exterior changes. These modifications will be made as part of the overall renovations to Town Hall, provided the roughly $3 million budget allows.

Tyndall said that the Town Hall project prioritizes safety and accessibility. The work will include a new elevator, fire sprinklers, repaired HVAC units (seven of the eight existing units are not operating correctly), asbestos and lead remediation, network, security, and fire alarm upgrades, as well as rework of entrances to improve ease of access during public meetings.

And then, if the budget allows, town officials hope to modify the outside of the structure by enhancing the signage, adding a cornice, and constructing an enhanced canopy.

“We’re working to try to bring [Town Hall] back to its historic nature, particularly making it fit well with the downtown,” Tyndall said.

Other exterior upgrades include replacing the existing double windows with new double doors and installing a new window in place of the existing front door. These adjustments are essential to comply with internal modifications and will be completed regardless, even if the funds don’t allow for decorative add-ons like the cornice, signage, and canopy.

Haley said the construction will include major interior renovations, such as office reconfiguration, which will affect the facade and require a reform of the building entry. As such, the main entryway, currently located on the front left, will be moved to the center and changed from a single door to double doors. A window will then go in place of the original door.

Haley added that the “nice-to-haves” elements— cornice, signage, and canopy—are “certainly not necessary as a part of the renovation, but something that would improve the overall facade of Town Hall.” If the safety and accessibility work is financially accounted for and there are funds left over, project leaders will take on the aesthetic items.

If the money doesn’t shake out as the municipality hopes, then none of the exterior work would take place, sans what is necessary to accommodate the interior renovations.

“The doors and windows would switch but … the canopy would stay [as is], the cornice wouldn’t happen, and the signage would stay [as is],” Haley said.

Haley’s facade presentation also included a trim around the proposed double doors. However, the district commission opted to approve the proposal without this addition, saying the molding is more reminiscent of a Georgian architectural style than Victorian.

“The trimwork you have around here … it’s not what you would find downtown —  the downtown as we see it — is either 99% Victorian on the downtown or federal architecture,” said commission member Carol Rose.

The commission also asked that the updated canopy span the entire length of the building’s front as the current one does, hanging over all doors and windows. Initially, Haley’s drawings showed the awning covering only the main entrance.

Commission member Mary Moore said the extended structure appears larger and can be used for practical purposes, such as allowing walkers to take cover when it’s raining.

The signage will be updated as part of the work. The text will remain the same, reading “Founded in 1868,” “Welcome to Berlin,” and “America’s Coolest Small Town,” but will be made of printed aluminum lettering rather than the existing vinyl.

“We want to make sure [Town Hall] gets back to its historical prominence,” Tyndall said. “The signage, getting away from the vinyl. It needs to look like a historic building.”

While now serving as a Town Hall, the William Street building has lived many lives. According to the mayor, the facility was at different points a police station, a fire station, a library, and a dance studio.

The commission approved the facade requests unanimously, including the new signage, door and window reconfiguration, and decorative cornice work, and amended the plans to remove the Georgian-style front door trim and change the shorter awning to resemble the current, elongated canopy.

While the window and entryway work will be constructed regardless, the other outside adjustments will only be made if the money works out, Tyndall and Haley said.

“You have to understand that if cost comes in and we have to do offices or cornice work, we’re doing offices,” the mayor said.

Berlin’s Town Hall renovation project is set to begin in 2026. The tentative schedule calls for putting the work out to bid this month, awarding a contract in January, and finalizing construction by next September.

Tyndall said the town initially estimated it would need a budget of about $2.5 million to complete the Town Hall improvements. However, the mayor said last week that the figure may be “a little light,” and staff are exploring other funding sources and grants to bring the available funds to around $3 million.