NORTH PROVIDENCE — The public works garage — which 18 months ago was shabby and on the verge of being demolished to make way for a housing development — has been renewed.

Due largely to Mayor Charles Lombardi’s insistence that the town could save money by keeping the garage and renovating it rather than building a new one — combined with the developer’s decision not to build on the land — the town canceled plans to build a new garage at the former town landfill off Smithfield Road.

Public Works Department employees last fall began renovating and expanding the old garage at 2 Mafalda St.

While the physical transformation has been ongoing — including the completion of a 5,000-square-foot addition built by town employees — there was another significant step last week when the first layer of asphalt went down on what was the old dirt parking lot.

Bernard Salvatore, acting director of public works, said the project, which is expected to be finished this fall, also includes a 35-foot-high “salt shed” to protect the tons of salt and sand mix used on the roads during the winter. With the addition, the garage now has room for more of the department’s equipment and will also be used as the central maintenance site for police and fire equipment. Fire equipment is now serviced at the Fruit Hill Fire Station and police equipment maintenance is done at police headquarters on Mineral Spring Avenue.

Crews removed a large quantity of ledge to expand the area for vehicles around the garage.

“We went from 5 bays to 14,” said Public Works Director Glenn Corrente. With the expansion, the facility has bay doors on three sides, making it possible for trucks to drive through without having to back out.

With a few exceptions, nearly all the work on the garage has been accomplished by town employees.

“The employees have really stepped up to the plate,” said Lombardi. “We allowed those who wanted to help out to share their knowledge in construction. And, as quick as we’ve asked them to participate, we’ve been as quick to thank them.”

The mayor said for some of the employees it was also an opportunity to learn as they went along. “It’s been a great partnership, and I think the bottom line is that it’s given them a great sense of accomplishment.”

Lombardi said the total outlay for renovating the garage and building will be about $200,000, far below the $2.1 million that was the estimated cost of building a new facility off Smithfield Road. He attributed the savings to the work by employees and using lighting fixtures from the former Rizzo Ford dealership.

“And you know what,” the mayor said, “the garage will be a shade bigger than the one that the town was going to build.”

Lombardi said that residents near the garage are happy, too. “The neighbors told me they preferred having the garage near them because they knew that if there were a snowstorm, their streets would be the first to be plowed.”

Among other changes at the garage are a number of pickup trucks and other vehicles that were part of a package of 11 seven-year-old vehicles that Lombardi purchased at a state auction two months ago at a total cost of $9,200.

The vehicles include three pickup trucks, three SUVs, a 12-passenger van, three vans with wheelchair access and a Ford Taurus.

Lombardi says the trucks — which will either be stored or maintained at the garage — have been earmarked for various departments including public works, police, fire and parks. A white 12-passenger van will be used for the Senior Center. One of the three vans with wheelchair access will be used as a backup for the Senior Center, while the other two may be held for future needs or or sold to recoup the town’s $9,200 investment.

Lombardi said that he first learned that the state had more excess vehicles that it wanted to sell when he bought some dump trucks from the state eight months ago.

“Then I learned that the state was going to put 80 of them out to bid at public auction. I had a problem with that because I felt that if they were going to be sold, they should be offered to municipalities first.”

Lombardi said Governor Carcieri agreed and ordered an auction strictly for municipalities. Lombardi said that when he arrived at the auction at the state Department of Transportation in Scituate, he knew exactly what he wanted. Once he got the trucks, all of 2001 vintage, town mechanics checked them out, cleaned them up and sent them out to be painted white. Lombardi considers it a good buy. The total cost, including painting, came out to an average of $1,200 apiece.

rdujardi@projo.com