SILVERHILL, Alabama --- Officials with the town of Silverhill broke ground Monday on its new community center, which will be located just south of where the Little Bohemian Hall sits at the ball park in Silverhill.

The town should be ready to begin work on the 3,200 square foot structure within the next week, said Silverhill Mayor Tim Wilson. The project, which will cost an estimated $200,000 to complete, will take approximately 120 days, said Wilson and Superintendent of Utilities Steve Williams.

The town has been without a community center since the Little Bohemian Hall was severely damaged during a tornado in April of 2011.

After months of discussion the decision was made to abandon Little Hall, and while the more than 80-year-old structure has since been moved and plans have been made to renovate the structure, the town has proceeded with plans to build a new facility.

Construction costs on the new facility were estimated at $110 per square foot or a total of $352,000, but after receiving eight bids on construction of the new facility, the lowest of which came in at $423,000, plus $75,000 in additional alternates, the council rejected all of the bids and decided at its meeting April 16 to allow Williams to proceed with the project using town employees.

The town received an insurance settlement of $157,781.37 from Little Hall. Once construction is completed on the new facility and Little Hall is rebuilt, the town expects and additional $75,000 in depreciation costs.

The town will subcontract much of the work, Wilson said, while town employees will tackle most of the finishing work. Bids for pouring the concrete foundation should all be received by the end of the week, Wilson said. Once a bid is approved, construction should begin immediately. The town will also have to let bids for electrical work on the facility.

The town has also hired John Struma with Struma Builders as a consultant on the project, Wilson said.