By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – It’s official. The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce is moving its offices, said its president.

Currently, the chamber operates out of the Old Red Schoolhouse located next to Wal-Mart on routes 2 and 4. The space is small and local historical societies, who operate the building as a museum, are considering moving the schoolhouse to the Farmington Fairgrounds though those plans are still in flux.

The chamber will move to an upstairs office in the former Nichols Welding facility on routes 2 and 4.

Chamber President Thomas Sawyer, said that the owner of the building, Gil Reed, offered the chamber “a good rent.”

“He made us an offer we couldn’t refuse,” Sawyer said Thursday.

Reed said Tuesday he is donating the space for the cost of expenses only.

“The chamber feels very fortunate that he’s so committed to this community,” Sawyer said about Reed.

Chamber members will be painting and sprucing up the new office in the next few weeks, according to Sawyer. They hope to be operating from there by early or mid-May.

The new location “is still very visible, which we thought was important,” he said.