Amy Lotven /Herald Staff Writer

Lindsay Gjerde | Daily Herald Michael Felt, director of the Halifax County Department of Social Services, talks about the blueprints for the new building, pointing out where new swipe keys will be used for employee access. Advertisement

Halifax - Michael Felt was dancing in the parking lot Friday afternoon. So ecstatic was the Halifax County Department of Social Services director about his agency's new building fast being erected on plot of land directly adjacent to the existing office, he was jerking and shuffling to the hip-hop music blaring from a nearby car.

When you compare the new state-of-the art building to the leaking, rusty, snake-infested and all-around grim former hotel where the department is currently located, you can understand his joy.

The construction of the $7.5 million DSS building is moving swiftly. General contractors began work in December, and Felt confirmed the predominantly brick building is on schedule, and on budget, and should be completed in February 2007.

The 70,000-square-foot structure will consist of two levels. The lower level will house Adult Services and Children Services - such as adoption, foster care, and child support - as well as the storage area for the tons of documents the DSS department is mandated to hold in a secured area. The remaining departments will be located on the upper level.

Employees will work in open areas; however, there will be a number of enclosed conference rooms that can be utilized for private meetings with clients.

Felt is extremely excited about the new building. He is also proud that it has managed to stay on schedule - a feat he attributes to the workmanship of the general contractor.

The building will be wireless accessible everywhere and equipped with extra wiring and fiber optic cables capable of supporting current and future communication technologies, Felt said.

“We're wired for the 21st and 22nd centuries.”

The new building will also, for the first time in decades, allow all 164 employees in the 32 departments that make up the DSS to work in the same space.

Currently, employees are spread out in three separate buildings. One department with 27 workers is housed in a mobile unit behind DSS.

Once the new building is fully completed, and furnished with the same metal furniture existing in the current building (yet another reason he remains on budget), Felt said the old building will be knocked down to create 200 more parking spaces.