Project Purpose:
Primary: Obtain and occupy an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant Municipal Building to conduct Township meetings, administrative and public safety functions.
Secondary: Provide available space for public utilization.
Project History:
Toward the end of 2020 the Governing Body was advised of potential availability for purchase of the Faith Wesleyan Church, 43 Lower Landsdown Road. As the Governing Body was aware of the Township’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance deficiency in the current Municipal Building (202 Sidney Road) and was already in possession of an adjacent lot available for parking, upon discussion with the owners of the property who expressed a preference to have the property serve the community, the Township consulted the Township Engineer for a cost estimate of upgrading the property for municipal purposes and concluded that the purchase of the property would be in the best interests of the public. After completing the contract negotiation process, the Township entered into an Agreement of Sale with Faith Wesleyan Church, Inc. for the purchase of the property on March 11, 2021. The Township proceeded to initiate Bond Ordinance 2021-04 and Property Purchase Ordinance 2021-05 on April 22, 2021 and adopted both ordinances on May 27, 2021 after the conclusion of their public hearings. The sale proceedings completed in late September and the Township obtained ownership of the property on September 27, 2021.
The Governing Body appointed Committeemen Homulak and Repmann as a subcommittee to oversee the process of upgrading and preparing the New Municipal Building for Township use. They worked closely with the Township Engineer and the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) to create a strategy for implementing the needed upgrades. To ensure that the project would be overseen by a professional, Mike Chabra, Chabra Enterprise Group, was contracted to serve as Project Manager on October 28, 2021 after the receipt, review and acceptance of Request for Quotations (RFQ) (see Minutes). Additionally, to ensure the professional scope of work, the Township contracted an engineering professional to draft the architectural plans for the New Municipal Building on December 23, 2021 (see Resolution 2021-53).
After a great deal of hard work with unforeseen setbacks (COVID-19 pandemic with its related supply chain shortages and inflation) and delays due to the need for approval from the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) for the purpose of moving the Police Department, the architectural plans have finally been completed and a site plan is now available for public viewing (with the Police Department information redacted to maintain safety and security).
New Municipal Building – Floor Plan (Police Department Redacted)
For additional information, please contact Cameron Keng, Chief Finance Officer.