The main headquarters at the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge is getting a multi-million dollars face lift. As YNN's Kate McGowan reports, plans for expansion at the Genesee County refuge have been years in the making.

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"They've been able to shuffle some funds around to make this happen," said Tom Roster, the refuge's manager.

$3.5 million in funds to add on to the main headquarters at Iroquois Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge sits on more than 10,000 acres of land spanning across Genesee and Orleans counties. Construction for this project will happen at the main offices in Basom.

"A lot of the folks that have been out to the refuge lately, as well as the last couple years, our Friends Group, and our public, have known that we have been trying to do this for a couple of years. Now, we're going to be able to have this happen," Roster said.

Roster said the offices will nearly double in size. That's because the Wildlife Fisheries Division, currently located in Erie County, will be re-locating to the Iroquois Refuge. With the fisheries moving there, the number of workers will increase from roughly a handful to more than 30.

"We've always been working on different projects already and it's just easier to have our folks together, the fisheries and refuge folks together," said the manager.

This collaboration will help serve the community and visitors better.

The expansion also includes a public education area, a wet lab for research, and multi-purpose room. The 40-year-old office building will be revamped, using the latest energy efficient technology. Roster said it's expected to be finished by 2013.

He is confident the public will appreciate the changes.

"I think it's great. An area for folks to come where they kind of have a one stop shop for both the fisheries and refuge folks at the same time."