Falls Twp. Will Move Municipal Operations During Building Overhaul

Falls Township will relocate their municipal operations while their current building is overhauled.

At their meeting Monday evening, the Falls Township Board of Supervisors announced their municipal offices will relocate to 430-450 Lincoln Highway in the Fairless Hills section of the township. The building is the same one where the Social Security Administration has its office.

No date for the move has been set, but Township Manager Matthew Takita said it could take place by December.

Supervisors Vice Chairperson Jeff Boraski said the relocation could last more than a year while the current building is completely overhauled.

“That way residents will still have safe access,” Boraski said. 

The township is embarking on the overhaul of their existing 60,000-square-foot complex along Lincoln Highway after years of talk. The project will revamp the finance, parks and recreation, the police department, clerks, the tax collector, and public works spaces. There will also be a change from a public meeting room to a community room, which could be used by residents and neighborhood organizations. The municipal building will be upgraded to include extra support and amenity spaces, shared, flexible meeting rooms, incubator space for start-up firms, and more.

The first floor will house all municipal functions for the benefit of guests who are elderly or have physical disabilities.

Township officials said they expect construction documents to be finalized by October 1. Construction will go out for bid on January 1, 2023, with work expected to run from February 1, 2023 to February 1, 2024.

The township has already spent money on architects, engineers, and other specialists related to the reconstruction of the municipal building, leading to the the supervisors approving the issuing of a $25 million bond. According to Falls Township solicitor Michael Clarke, the bond enables the township to cover costs made in connection with the construction project.

Also at this week’s meeting, the supervisors gave approval for the Lincoln Circle fencing project’s bid advertisement.

While building renovations are being done, the property at the end of Lincoln Circle that sits near the township complex will provide a secure location for storing township vehicles and equipment, according to Boraski.

For the removal and replacement of 925 linear feet of chain link fencing, the township is looking for offers. Bids will be taken until 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11. Bidders must show up for an 11 a.m. site inspection on September 30 in order to have their bid evaluated.

Earlier this year, the township hired Grace Construction for $585,000 for management during course of the project.

Supervisors granted $1,364,402 to IEI Architects’ five-phase proposal in June. Additionally, the supervisors approved fee reimbursements up to $33,000.

The supervisors have also hired Jones Engineering Associates to work on improvements at a cost of more than $235,000.

The supervisors greenlit construction in 2016 of a new 55,174-square-foot municipal center next to the existing building, but higher-than-expected cost estimates tanked the project.

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