By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — The long-awaited renovation to the Municipal Building moved one step closer to reality as Township Council introduced a $725,000 bond ordinance to pay for the work.
A public hearing on the bond ordinance has been set for Township Council’s June 13 meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Municipal Building on Clarksville Road.
The bond ordinance sets aside $500,000 for the project, which also involves renovations to a portion of the township-owned U.S. Postal facility. The money is the result of the sale of municipal assets — specifically, money generated by the sale of a liquor license.
In April, Township Council awarded a $57,200 contract to the Spiezle Architectural Group in connection with the renovation projects.
Earlier this year, Township Council discussed renovations to the Municipal Building and the U.S. Postal facility. The plan calls for relocating the Health Department and the Recreation Department, which occupy the former Police Department wing and a trailer outside the Municipal Building.
The Health Department and the Recreation Department have outgrown the space. The Health Department lacks a private area where visitors can discuss issues. And township officials would like to remove the trailer, which has outlived its useful life.
Moving those departments to a portion of the U.S. Postal facility would allow township officials to make renovations and repairs to the Municipal Building, which was built in the 1970s. The roof at the Municipal Building has been leaking for many years.
The Spiezle Architectural Group is familiar with the two buildings. It was awarded a $14,800 contract in 2012 to conduct a space planning study of the Municipal Building and the U.S. Postal facility. Based on those studies, the firm was awarded the latest contract.
According to the Spiezle Architectural Group, about half of the U.S. Postal facility would be renovated for the two departments. The U.S. Postal Service moved some of its functions to another location, freeing up about 2,700 square feet for the health and recreation departments.
The Spiezle Architectural Group will develop schematic pans and preliminary details for the building design to include exterior designs for the new entry into the renovated office space. It would also prepare bid specifications.
