Architect recommended for community center

Starting next week, an architect could be on board to help Upper Gwynedd shape its plans for a possible township recreation center.

“One of the big highlights of what they will provide is some level of what it could look like, where the best location could be, and also a cost estimate,” said Township Manager Len Perrone.

Since the fall of 2015, Upper Gwynedd officials have discussed the possibility of an indoor recreation center to add extra space to the township’s parks department beyond its current one-room building, which dates back to 1980. In early 2016 the township developed a survey asking potential users what they would like to see at the center and created a needs advisory committee to

evaluate the responses and vet proposals from architects interested in helping develop concepts.

“They’re going to show us the square footage that will be assigned to different types of activities, so that we know what they are showing us is consistent with the results of the surveys that we got. Because ultimately, that’s what we’re tying it back to,” Perrone said.

Reporting on that process Tuesday, Perrone and Parks and Recreation Director Alex Kaker said the committee received 13 proposals from interested architects, pared the list down to a top three, then interviewed the three. Their top candidate, Philadelphia-based Buell Kratzer Powel, has helped in the design and construction of similar centers across the country.

“While a lot of other firms might have only done design work, these guys had experience in design and through construction, and their cost estimator was also used in four other proposals,” Kaker said. “We know they’re a legitimate firm, and can give us a solid understanding of what the cost could be.”

If township commissioners approve a contract next week, BKP will use the survey data gathered last year to develop several possible concepts, with visuals and space breakdowns to help the board decide whether to proceed.

“This is simply a schematic design and a budget estimate. We’re not going forward with building this community center as of yet. Nothing’s been decided,” Kaker said.“We need to figure out what it’s going to look like, what it’s going to cost, and if the

board wants to fund it, how they would fund it.”

Needs advisory committee member Gil Silverman said BKP’s presentation was the most comprehensive of all those received by the committee, and he was most impressed by the firm’s goal of presenting three concepts to the committee to narrow down.

“It gives us more insight into what we would prefer,” Silverman said. “They really gave an impressive proposal from that regard, and their subcontractors they’re proposing are also very strong.”

Committee member Mike Zumpino said he was impressed that BKP will use the survey data and in-person interviews to come up with an independent cost estimate, which could give the township a fundraising target.

“As we approach this next phase, which would be a more thorough assessment of the physical layout and flow, with the improvements that are the priorities from the community, we have the costs, and we use that as the basis to profile the project,” Zumpino said.

Members of the committee have already started to look into grants, as well as naming rights they could sell for the new facility and other incentives that could be rolled into a fundraising campaign once that cost number is known.

“It’ll take a very aggressive presentation, but I think that’s exactly what we hope the report, the engineering, and the architectural report will present to us,” Zumpino said.

The contract states that BKP’s costs are not to exceed $29,350, according to Kaker, and the department budgeted $40,000 for the year to develop the design before deciding to proceed.

“This should accomplish what we’re trying to do,” Kaker said.