RUMFORD — Voters have approved spending up to $605,000 from the capital account to build a combination office and garage for the Park and Recreation Department.

It took 20 voters at the Town Hall auditorium July 30 about 15 minutes to pass the lone article on the special town meeting warrant.

A flood in December 2023 resulted in an estimated $2 million in damage to the 15 Lincoln Ave. office, equipment and garage.

As recently as six months ago, Town Manager George O’Keefe said bids for the project would be around $3 million. Following three workshops by the Select Board with recreation and other officials, that figure has come way down.

O’Keefe said the latest project estimate was $1.08 million and he expects another reduction because there were components of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that they didn’t need.

“We did not want them to have air condition the garage,” O’Keefe said.

He said cash on hand in town accounts is about $879,000, but only about $605,000 could be reappropriated for the recreation building. O’Keefe added that of all those funds are in the Park and Recreation Department capital fund to support its programs and facilities.

An effort is underway to see if the $250,000 matching grant from Land and Water Conservation can be repurposed for the garage project.

O’Keefe said voters approved $275,000 for the Hosmer Lane project at a special town meeting Dec. 5, 2024. If they’re able to use those matching funds for the garage as well, it will go a long way to funding the project.

Rumford is also waiting for $111,280 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for flood disaster relief — a reimbursement from a combination of state and federal agencies. That money would go back into the Park and Recreation Department capital fund.