It was an event years in the making.

On Thursday evening, in front of a crowd of about 100 people, Newmarket council members officially reopened Old Town Hall. There was a loud round of applause as Mayor Tony Van Bynen cut a long piece of thick red ribbon — held by his council colleagues — with a large pair of scissors while standing on the revamped theatre stage. The room was cool and not too crowded and tall tables with white tablecloths were set up along the walls. Many people took pictures, sipped from glasses and sampled the sliders, quesadillas and other appetizers that made rounds at the hands of servers.

The town hopes this is the first of many major events to come at the newly renovated facility, which features the theatre, an outdoor piazza and stage, meeting rooms, an elevator and storage space. It will also be accessible and capable of hosting art exhibitions and residents will be able to pay tax bills and make other municipal inquiries at a main kiosk.

Old Town Hall was constructed in 1883, and has served as a municipal office, jail, courthouse, market, theatre and reception hall since. It received municipal heritage designation in 1999.

“The reopening is an historic and defining moment,” Van Bynen said. “We are here in this beautiful building celebrating the culmination of our hard work. We’re celebrating our successes and how we’ve been able to overcome our setbacks. We’re acknowledging and honouring our rich history, but we’re ready to take on our bright future.”

He recalled the event that prompted the renovation of the 130-year-old building, which is described by the town as “Newmarket’s most treasured historical and cultural landmark”, while holding up a broken brick wrapped in a skinny red ribbon. Former Ward 5 councillor Joe Sponga brought the brick in to the council chambers years ago, stressed the building was “falling down” and urged the town to take action.

The more than $10-million project was funded by the town (about $6 million), Canada and Ontario governments through the Building Canada Fund ($3.4 million) and local community sponsors ($500,000). The feds also chipped in more than $80,000 for new audio-visual technology recently.

But other councillors also stressed the importance of the evening. Longtime Ward 2 Councillor Dave Kerwin, a firm supporter of the reconstruction, seemed to grin continuously throughout the evening. He handed out hugs and quipped to this reporter that he “promised it would open in September, just not in which year”.

Kerwin was referencing the 1.5 years in construction delays that took place, an issue largely blamed on poor weather and structural problems with the foundation.

However, the evening also allowed local artists to showcase their work to the community. The Newmarket Group of Artists kicked off an exhibition at the facility. It runs until Oct. 13 and features 80 pieces of work that ranges from jewelry, pottery and sculptures to paintings and photography.