Irwin to spend $1.1M to renovate new borough building

Irwin residents will have a newly renovated borough building as the town council has awarded about $1.1 million in contracts for an extensive remodeling of a 114-year-old structure on Main Street.

Council on Wednesday approved five construction contracts and one asbestos abatement contract to convert the former Rosendahl’s Appliance Center storefront into a government office housing the police and administration offices at 424 Main St.

The construction work will begin after asbestos is removed from the building, said Rick Burdelski, president of borough council. Burdelski said he is not certain when that work might be completed.

There will be an aggressive schedule for the project, said Shari Martino, borough manager, though officials are not certain when the project would be finished.

Graham Construction of Claysville, Washington County, was awarded a $563,669 contract as the general contractor. Westmoreland Electric Services Inc. of East Huntingdon was awarded a $219,000 contract. Shipley Plumbing LLC of Cranberry was awarded a $101,255 contract. John Hall Inc. of Ligonier was awarded a $250,975 contract for heating, ventilating and air conditioning work. Westmoreland Electric Services also was awarded a $22,000 contract to replace the fire department siren atop the building. Bids were opened Tuesday, June 10.

A $26,500 contract for asbestos remediation work was awarded to Trifecta Team LLC of New Kensington.

Civil and Environmental Consultants of Monroeville was hired by the borough in December to prepare an architectural design and engineering work for the borough offices at a cost of no more than $97,000. The borough canceled its lease with Gary Proctor, owner of Rosendahl’s, March 31, and he moved his business across Main Street to a vacant storefront.

Irwin’s current administrative offices and the police department are not accessible for those not able to climb stairs. The borough manager and other administrators are about two dozen steps above street level.

During the past several years, borough officials have looked at several options for new offices, including renting an existing building and possibly building a municipal complex at the site of the former Sixth Street School, where the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department would be adjacent to the municipal offices. Borough officials ultimately scrapped that plan and had expressed an interest in keeping the government offices in the downtown business district.

The other options “were excessively expensive,” said Zachary Kansler, borough solicitor.

To pay for the project, the borough will tap its building fund grant and property account fund, which has accumulated about $900,000. That fund received a significant boost from a $450,000 state Department of Community and Economic Development grant.

To pay for the remainder of the cost, the borough is considering borrowing no more than $350,000. The annual debt service of about $55,000 would be covered by the borough’s existing tax millage that is allocated to that fund, Kansler said.

Councilman Tyler Baum noted the project will not require the borough to increase real estate taxes.

Councilman Shawn Stitely said he was concerned about the project and thought the borough possibly could rebid the renovation work.

“We always worry we are going to strap the next council,” Stitely said.

Burdelski said he had spoken with contractors and their feeling was that the price would only increase.

The Irwin Volunteer Fire Department would like to have input on the sound of the siren, said Stitely, a deputy fire chief with the Irwin department.

Borough officials had discussed moving the siren off the rooftop of the building but found it was not feasible.