Politics & Government

Upgrades Coming to Township Building

The Upper Moreland Commissioners set the wheels in motion for an estimated $460,000 in improvements to the municipal building.

By next year, the Upper Moreland Township building could have swipe card access, an updated HVAC system and a full-service generator in place. 

The board, during Monday's meeting, approved a $40,500 agreement with Gillan & Hartmann to provide design work and bidding components needed for roughly $460,000 of improvements to the township building.

Commissioners Chairman R. Samuel Valenza said the $463,000 bond remaining from Memorial Park Drive upgrades in the heart of Willow Grove would cover the township building improvements. The air-conditioning system, which currently "drowns everybody out," is the most pressing of the upgrades, he said. 

Other than routine maintenance, Township Manager David Dodies said the last building improvement was carried out in 1997 when the facility was expanded to include the police and tax departments. The planned upgrades have a 20 to 30-year life expectancy, he said. 

Adding a swipe card entry system for the adjacent Upper Moreland Free Public Library is a possibility as well, depending on other project costs, Dodies said. 

"Each individual work item will be delineated and costed out," Dodies said. "The township commissioners can review the pricing as the bids come in."

Commissioner Joe Lavalle said that after the contract is executed with Gillan & Hartmann, pre-construction documents would be drafted and from there, bids would be solicited for the various upgrades. Lavalle estimated that construction would conclude by the end of this year, or beginning of 2014.

Valenza said the governing body is waiting until September to bid the HVAC work because "the HVAC guys are busy" during summer months.

Ultimately, Valenza said the commissioners are "hoping to be less" in terms of total project costs than the $463,000 available. 


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