WATERTOWN â With a countdown from five, a group of those close to the project brandished the pairs of large, gold scissors handed to them and cut the ribbon for the reopening ceremony of The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrenceâs Gaffney Drive facility Thursday evening, a culmination of years of work and millions of dollars. The renovation project has taken about three years to complete, including initial planning, design and engineering, construction and a capital campaign to assist with the cost of the project. Construction began last July, when The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence embarked on the first major renovation of its Gaffney Drive campus since it was built in 1968: an estimated $12 million project. Except for an addition in 1972, the 43,000-square-foot building had not undergone any major renovations since it was built.