City of Lock Haven ponders new City Hall
LOCK HAVEN, PA – City Council will soon have a decision to make, if it so chooses, upgrading the existing City Hall or building a new one on a nearby vacant Bellefonte Avenue site.
Council heard an extensive presentation on city options as part of its Monday night council meeting. Scott Loercher from Buchart Horn Architects presented options and a “first opinion” of projected costs: an overall estimated cost of $6 million for an upgraded City Hall at its present E. Church Street location, or $6.8 million for a new two-story building at the former Town Tavern/Heilig-Meyers site at 45 Bellefonte Avenue. Those numbers include estimated “soft costs” associated with any work.
As presented Monday, the City Hall upgrade would provide more space for the police department, among other improvements. The Bellefonte Avenue option would provide employee and police parking to the rear and maintain the use of Willards Alley which runs through the vacant plot.
The feasibility study said the current City Hall, in use since 1936, is in structurally good shape and has “some historical significance.” On the downside: “The layout of the current building, site concerns, total replacement of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems would make replacement a better fiscal option for the City.”
The report said both options would provide sufficient square footage to accommodate future needs and both would meet the goals of the city and provide residents with shared services and easy access. “While renovation of the current facility can be accomplished to meet program requirements, the age and general condition of the facility makes improvements costly and time consuming. City operations would need to be relocated to an alternate site for the duration of construction.”
“Construction of a new building designed to meet City Administration and Police program requirements on the Bellefonte (Avenue) site provides the opportunity to provide better operational organization while maintaining current operation. The new building would be designed to address program needs, adjacency requirements, accessibility issues and security concerns, and meet accreditation requirements.”
The Buchart Horn report said a timeline to proceed with a new building, from design to occupancy, would take just over two years.
