VIDALIA — Since November, Clark Construction of McComb has been hard at work building the City of Vidalia’s new municipal complex, and eight months into the project, Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said approximately half of the complex is complete.

“They are on schedule to complete it in the 12 to 14 month time frame they gave us,” Copeland said. “I would say by the end of December or the beginning of January everything will be ready for us to move in.”

The complex will feature new buildings for City Hall, the fire station and the police station on a 75-acre stretch of land near Walmart, and Copeland said all three facilities have been erected.

“They are beginning some roof and exterior work placing bricks now,” he said. “The work they have done so far has been tremendous.”

Copeland said once the work is complete, City Hall will be housed in a 10,000-square foot building, the fire department will be in a 12,000-square foot building and the police department will be in an 8,000-square foot building.

“All of our current buildings are around 60 years old, and we have outgrown them,” he said. “We are excited about being able to move into the new ones, and we know it will also be a huge asset to the community.”

Copeland said along with having more technology and space, the new City Hall building will feature a community meeting room for public use.

Copeland said the new fire station will feature more training and living areas, along with improved equipment.

“We are still trying to achieve a higher fire rating, and I believe the new station can really help us do that,” he said. “Through the fire station we will also have ambulance services available.”

Copeland said the city’s current fire station will be transformed into a substation after the move into the new one.

Since Vidalia’s new recreation complex and city park are also going to be built next to the municipal complex, Copeland said security and ambulance services would be readily available for any problems that arise.

“All of these services in one complex allows us to be able to operate at the highest efficiency,” he said.

With the work still ongoing, Copeland said the city is excited to be getting closer to moving into the new facility.

“This is something we have needed for a long time, and it feels good to see the work getting closer and closer to being done,” he said.

Copeland said construction work on the complex will continue, and the city plans to begin construction on the new recreation complex within the next 40 days.