NEW SCOTLAND — The Hilton LeVie barn, a historic hand-built structure previously slated for demolition, is scheduled to be moved to its new site along the Albany County rail trail on March 15.

Town officials approved resolutions for insurance, grants, and moving equipment costs at the town board’s February meeting.

The project is expected to cost $200,000 to cover a new foundation, site preparation, and the land it will stand on, recently negotiated across from the barn’s current location on Route 85A. 

The massive barn, built in 1898, is 120 feet long and 60 feet high. Joseph Hilton had Frank Osterhout build the bar on his farm; it was most recently used by the LeVies who ran a farmstand there. It is on land now owned by a developer who planned to tear it down. Hilton heirs agreed to sell an acre across Route 85A from where the barn stands now.

Town attorney Michael Naughton told the board that, if the board approved a contract with Wolfe House and Building Movers for $121,600 — and other charges for “mobilization” — by Feb. 12, Wolfe would meet the March 15 deadline. Remobilization fees of $12,400 and rental charges for barn storage on Wolfe’s cribbing, if needed before the new foundation is complete, could also be charged, Naughton said.

The company offered “insurance mechanisms” to get $80,000 back if the barn collapsed during the move, he said.

Highway Superintendent Kenneth Guyer said that the town obtained bids to clear the land. He estimated that the clearing would take about a day and a half, and that the town could consider selling some of the lumber from the site.

Councilman William C. Hennessy Jr. said that the town expected to pay for the project with a $125,000 state grant, a $50,000 county grant, and $25,000 from the town’s parks fund, which is funded by fees by developers.

“We’re ahead of schedule, which is encouraging,” he said.

Other costs approved by the board include a $225 design fee plus up to $5,000 to Verizon, and up to $5,000 to Time Warner cable for costs related to moving the barn; up to $950 for asbestos sampling; up to $3,600 to architectural firm Lacey, Thaler, Reilly, Wilson Architecture and Preservation, which, Hennessy said, has previously provided pro bono work through local resident Steve Reilly; and up to $28,000 to National Grid to improve the utility system for moving the barn.

Zoning board member Edith Abrams suggested that the town prepare for a crowd of viewers when the movers begin.

“A lot of people would like to see the barn move,” she said.

Councilwoman Patricia Snyder said that the Voorheesville Community School Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, will accept donations for the project.