Construction began on the East State Street building March 1 and is set to be completed in mid-June, said Greer Hayden of HHSDR Architects and Engineers, Sharon. Hayden said the building should be done on schedule despite some small setbacks due to weather.

"It's moving along good," Hayden said of the construction.

"It (the building) was in dire need of an update," said Janet Johnson, business manager for the American Legion. She said no major work has been done to the building since it was built in 1951 with the exception of remodeling the restrooms.

The work is going to cost close to $1 million, Ms. Johnson said. Hayden said the work includes doubling the size of the hall's meeting room and grill room, which is the bar area. The entryway will also be redone, he said.

Regularly scheduled activities have been able to continue through the construction, Ms. Johnson said. Temporary walls were erected to create a slightly more crowded, but usable, space, she said.

"Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement" has been the motto of the project, Ms. Johnson said.