The 24-month construction is slated to begin in late June.
By:Lea Kahn
The renovation of the Municipal Building moved one step closer to reality as Township Council awarded a $3.7 million contract to a Cherry Hill-based contractor last week.
The council voted 4-1 to give the contract to Wu & Associates at its June 8 meeting. Work on the project, which involves renovations and an addition, is expected to begin at the end of the month. It will take about 24 months to complete.
Mayor Pam Mount and Councilmen Mark Holmes, Michael Powers and Greg Puliti voted to award the contract to Wu & Associates. Councilman Rick Miller cast the lone "no" vote.
"This is not something we can afford right now," Mr. Miller said. "I am sensitive to the 6-cent municipal tax rate increase, which is a very large increase for taxpayers. I think the Municipal Building work could be held off."
The plan calls for demolishing the former Police Department headquarters in the building and constructing a 5,500-square-foot addition. It also calls for renovating 19,000 square feet of the existing building.
The Police Department and the Municipal Court moved into a new 42,210-square-foot building in 2002.
The goal of the project is to make the Municipal Building more accommodating and user-friendly to the public by rearranging the location of various departments. Departments whose functions are complementary such as the Engineering Department and the Construction Department would be located adjacent to each other.