EDDINGTON – The town received four bids to construct a town hall addition that residents recently approved, and it is working with the lowest bidder to ensure the amount is equal to or less than what town voters authorized, the town manager said Friday.

“We haven’t signed anything yet,” Town Manager Russell Smith said Friday. “We’re in negotiations right now.”

The bids were opened Thursday afternoon, and at a meeting that evening between selectmen and the building committee, the decision was made to pursue the lowest bidder – Nichols Construction LLC of Hudson.

The highest bid was for slightly more than $1 million, and the lowest bid was $8,600 more than the $950,000 cost estimate that was presented to residents before they endorsed the project in July.

“We’ll be scaling back to get within that number,” Smith said.

Town leaders have been discussing expanding the municipal building, which the town and Fire Department have shared for 32 years, for more than five years and residents endorsed going forward with the project at the annual town meeting in March.

Design plans were then created by A.E. Hodsdon of Waterville. The plans include an added structure on both the right and left sides of the 3,500-square-foot municipal building that will add a total of 6,500 square feet of space. The expansion design plans and renderings are on display at the town hall.

The additions will create a new town hall on the left side of the current building and a three-firetruck bay on the right, while renovating the existing town hall space for the Fire Department.

Town officials will meet with Nichols Construction representatives Monday to negotiate the construction bid, before a presentation to selectmen is made Wednesday.

Selectmen changed their regular Tuesday meeting to accommodate the statewide election. They will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the town hall.