Board plans $10.4M municipal building
Groundbreaking expected in early 2017 with township offices moving into temporary facility
Township officials got a chance to review the final design of the new municipal building expected to break ground early next year.
The board of supervisors approved advertising bids for construction of the estimated $10.4 million township municipal building during a presentation Nov. 15.
Construction is slated to begin in early 2017 and will take approximately 16 months to complete, according to representatives from KCB Architecture. The two-story, 34,500-square-foot facility will largely stick to the existing footprint, but promises space for future growth. The project is expected to go out to bid Dec. 1 and the board will award a contract at its first meeting in January.
The exterior of the building incorporates a mixture of a synthetic stucco panel system and stone. Architects said they worked close with the construction manager to design a facility that keeps in heat and is quick to build. The new facility design incorporates large windows for natural lighting and LED light bulbs to help make it environmentally friendly and save on energy costs.
Township Manager Dan Kerr said the goal for the new building was to create a functional office for police and administration that doesn’t waste space.
“I’ve been in many municipal buildings where you walk down and they’ve got glass atriums in these office spaces and I’m thinking what a waste of money,” he said. “We just wanted very functional office space that will serve the admin-
istrative and police functions for years to come.”
The building balances comfort and transparency for the public with a sense of security for township staff, according to the presentation.
The administrative offices will be located on the second floor, with staff members working in collaborative open rooms, while the public meeting area, police department and other offices will be housed on the first floor.
Behind the building will be a secure lock for police. Inside the fenced in area will be a partially covered area for police vehicles. This will allow officers on patrol to exit the facility quickly during inclement weather without having to shovel off snow from their vehicle.
During construction, administration and police will rent space inside the former Teleflex building located along the 100 block of South Limerick Road.