Lansdale Borough Hall Preserved in Proposed Municipal Complex Renovation

It's modern meets history.

Lansdale Borough Hall will remain standing—well, at least three of its walls and the cupola—and be incorporated into a new municipal complex at 1 Vine St., which proposes to house the police department and borough administration in a 35,000-square-foot, two-story, state-of-the-art facility.

Lansdale Borough revealed the concept plan for the new municipal complex Tuesday night, designed by Spiezle Architects.

Borough Manager Timi Kirchner said the project is a result of a three-year facilities study that identified the condition of borough properties. The police department and borough hall were considered in poor condition in that study.

"We are taking it back to its 1932 true historic look," said Kirchner of the former Lansdale Post Office.

While there is no price tag on the cost of the municipal complex renovation, Kirchner said there is money in the capital reserves for the project.

"Not only have we studied and planned for the facilities, we have planned financing for them also. A capital improvement plan was put into place three years ago," she said. "This project will not cause a tax increase."

The current front of borough hall would be eliminated and a new two-story facility would sprout out from it. The new police station would be located on the far end of the new building. The concept boasts a one-story secure area for the sally port and cells. 

"The objective was to create an efficient and a higher utilization building so staff and police can be in a more safe, shared and unified facility," said Steve Krug, principal of Spiezle Architects. "We did not want to duplicate anything: one boiler, one heating system, one AC unit."

The building would be served by a common two-story lobby accessible to police and administration.

"The lobby would go straight through to Railroad Avenue," Krug said. "This allows the building to be accessible for public functions."

Kirchner said there would be a back entrance into the municipal complex from Railroad Avenue. Railroad Avenue will also serve as part of the Liberty Bell Trail.

"We can now make the building part of our events," Kirchner said.

New Council Chambers

Upon entering, to the right would be the entrance to council chambers, where the current council chambers are located today. The police department would be located to the left.

"The room would be twice the size and without the columns. It will have a high ceiling and the room will be about a story-and-a-half," Krug said. "The exterior walls would be preserved and the chamber would be located in its historic location."

The council chambers would have a movable 16-seat dias and 125-seat seating, which would provide flexibility for community uses. Krug said this would allow any one of the four walls in council chambers to act as the front of the room. Projectors would be placed to the sides of the room, he said.

"You can have an open house for 200 people or an event for 40 people," Krug said.

The tall windows and door in council chambers would be replaced with energy-efficient, double-pane glass.

The basement of borough hall would be filled in and the floor lowered. 

The 22,000-square-foot first floor administrative area would also include a dedicated office for the mayor and a caucus room that is equivalent to the current room used by council.

Krug said there would also be an electronic kiosk in the lobby for wayfinding, paying fines, applying for permits and paying utility bills.

"We can shut down the lobby at night and you will still be able to get to the police," Krug said. "The deeper you go into the building, the higher the security."

New Police Department

The west side of the first floor of the proposed complex would be taken up by the police department: there is room for offices for the chief and staff, detectives and a day room for daily functions for police, and lockers for male and female officers.

"The police share space now for multiple uses. It's unsafe and distracting," Krug said. "More people can use the spaces (in the proposed plan) in a safe manner."

An important aspect of the proposed new police department is a secure perimter for processing and housing prisoners. This inclues a more secured sallyport.

"Now, the sallyport is an open and unsecured area," Krug said. "Here, the doors are interlocked: One door will only open at a time. Officers can get the perpetrator out, close one door, open another door, and move them into the processing and holding area."

The number of cells in the police department would also be increased from four to nine. Jail cells for men, women and juveniles would be separated in the proposed facility.

"There will be numerous cameras around the building," Krug said.

The east side of the first floor is the spot for the electrical and mechanical equipment, Krug said.

New Borough Administration

The 13,000-square-foot second floor would not be built over the council chambers or the prison area below it, Krug said. Two stairways and a freight-size elevator provide access to the second floor.

It is on the second floor where borough administration would be located, namely the borough manager, code enforcement, community development, information technology, communications and finance. 

The second floor also boasts up to three conference rooms for public and administrative uses.

Futhermore, while residents are used to one transaction window now at borough hall, the new plan calls for four windows.

"There is opportunity for staff to be crosstrained to help one another," Krug said. "They can tend to different needs."

Shapiro said this gets rids of the queuing that occurs at present in borough hall.

"Now, two levels of codes and finance can be increased in efficiency with cross training," Shaprio said, adding that there are no plans to hire more employees under the proposed development. "We can be more customer focused."

Krug said that since the site is tight, the concept allows for a third floor to be added on top of the flat concrete roof in the far future.

New Exterior Look

The plan shows a gathering outside outside the municipal complex, right about where the current entrance is today. Krug said this gathering area offers the opportunties for memorial bricks, trees and plaques.

There is also an idea of what do to with Railroad Avenue: dedicate it to SEPTA buses and emergency vehicles only, thereby eliminating SEPTA buses stopping on Green Street.

The proposed plan would disrupt borough administration services, but not police services. Kirchner said a temporary relocation site has not been decided at this time.

"When it opens," Krug said, "the police can move in and administration can move in, and we can tear down the old police station. We will build the parking lot on the old station footprint."

The plan at present calls for 70 parking spaces, which is not an increase on the number of spaces there today. Kirchner said there are opportunities to have shared parking with nearby private businesses.

Scott Malin, of Spiezle Architects, said the design allows for a lot of natural light to flow through the building. He said Spiezle is pursuing LEED certification.

There will be one major change to the exterior and it will be noticeable to people coming into the borough.

The current cupola, Krug said, is in very rough shape and it is too tall and skinny for how wide it is at present. Krug said the cupola would be reproportioned and built out of durable materials.

It has six columns now, and that number would be increased to eight columns to make it more stable. There will also be a lantern installed inside, which will illuminate borough hall at night.

"We saw this as a beacon and a major gateway of the borough," Malin said. "You can see the light from the railroad as you come into town."

Futhermore, the mechanical equipment currently existing on the roof—which is causing major issues with water leaking into the second floor of borough hall—would be eliminated.

"There are hundreds of leaks and different geometries," Krug said. "This will be a clean roof." 

Construction on Target for Fall 2013

Kirchner estimated construction would take 15 months. She said there is a target to begin the project in Fall 2013.

Preliminary and final construction drawings still need to be drafted before the project is sent out to bid. Only once a bid is accepted and awarded can construction begin on the project.

In March, the borough entered into a contract with Spiezle to design two concepts for renovations tdo the municipal complex. The goal of council and administration was to preserve the history of the site. 

A steering committee of staff and citizens aided in the development of the proposed concept. Members on that steering committee were Lansdale Historical Society President Dick Shearer, Fire Marshal Jay Daveler, Signarama owner Mary Schwalje, planning commission member Kevin Dunigan, resident Bill Henning, Police Chief Robert McDyre, Finance Director Brian Shapiro, administrative assistant Stacie Maile, Director of Community Development John Ernst, Utilities Director Jake Ziegler and Kirchner.

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