By Carly Shaia

Special to The Farmville Herald

The Farmville Immigration Centers of America (ICA) offices are moving from Waterworks Road to downtown Farmville.

At 417 West Third St. — the former location of the Fisher Auto Parts store — some light construction work is visible inside and outside the building.

The offices are getting facelift as the ICA moves its human resources and other administrative offices into the new structure.

“They were operating in double-wide trailers,” said Farmville Town Manager Gerald Spates.

Although the trailers were air-conditioned, the space wasn’t suitable as a location for main office management.

The building — which sits on a half-acre lot — is currently in the process of becoming an office space from the once mechanic-based building.

“This building became available, so (the ICA decided to) renovate the Fisher Auto Parts building,” Spates said. “It’s just an expansion,” he said.

According to Russell Harper, the registered agent of Immigration Centers of America-Farmville LLC and a managing member of Harper Associates, the building was purchased for $278,000.

“The ICA purchased the building and renovated the interior,” Harper said.

He said the firm hopes to continue exterior construction when “the weather gets warmer.”

In addition to administrative offices residing in the building, Harper said that the facility will be used “for storage” and “staff training.”

The project is ongoing and the ICA hopes to complete it by the end of 2016.

ICA of Farmville operates the Farmville Detention Center, which houses illegal immigrants facing criminal charges. The $21 million private facility, operated under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, opened in Farmville in 2010.