West Deer receives $1.5M grant for municipal complex; contract decision delayed

West Deer will receive a $1.5 million state grant that will go toward the construction of a municipal complex.

Rep. Bob Brooks announced the grant in a news release April 22. He advocated for the funding through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), according to the release.

“The grant is great news to our community,” Brooks said. “West Deer Township is growing in a region that is losing population. The municipal building is too small to handle the day-to-day operations, so an upgrade in the facility is needed.”

RACP is a state grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects, according to the state’s Office of the Budget website.

West Deer supervisors Chairwoman Beverly Jordan said she is thrilled with the grant that will help fulfill the township’s needs.

“We have got our money’s worth out of this building, but it is time to grow,” Jordan said. “We do not have enough room.”

The current building, constructed in 1952, is outdated, officials said. It has three people sharing one office and two in another.

Jordan said the supervisors have been setting aside money each year for the project so real estate taxes wouldn’t have to be raised to build the complex.

Plans are to raze the current building once the new municipal building is completed.

Township Manager Daniel Mator said he has written many grants in the past, but none has made him as cheerful as this one when he received the news. He said the supervisors made it clear they want a new complex to accommodate their growth and meet the community’s needs without raising taxes.

“This grant award — along with other initiatives — puts us one step closer to accomplishing those goals,” he said.

On April 20, two days before the grant announcement, the West Deer supervisors delayed a decision on awarding an architectural contract for designs for the new municipal building.

It’s proposed to be built next to the current site on East Union Road.

One of the questions unanswered during the meeting was whether to move forward with a 12,000-square-foot building or a 17,000-square-foot building.

Supervisor James Smullin said he would like more time to study the architectural bids for the design of the complex that were submitted by RSSC Architecture ($398,000), HHSDR Architects ($419,900) and Entasis Inc. ($464,100).