More than five years after the town of Ridgway was selected by the state for an affordable housing project, current and past town leaders and state officials gathered for a toast to celebrate long-awaited progress on the building.

They poured champagne on a temporary stage parked on Clinton Street, with the stairwells of the future building standing behind them.

“Here’s to Ridgway, and Space to Create, and to each and every one of you, for making this place as special as it is,” Mayor John C...