Doylestown Borough will receive $1.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds to acquire and redevelop an existing PennDOT maintenance facility in to a new municipal complex, state Rep. Wendy Ullman (D-143) and state Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10) have announced.
The funding was awarded through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). The project has received strong support from Santarsiero and Ullman.
The proposed complex on the corner of North Broad and Doyle streets, will include a new Doylestown Borough Hall, Central Bucks Regional Police Department headquarters (serving Doylestown, Chalfont, and New Britain), and a new municipal park.
“This state funding helps lift some of the financial cost off local taxpayers and provides Doylestown Borough with additional resources to deliver quality, reliable services to residents,” Santarsiero said. “I look forward to working with Mayor Ron Strouse, Council President Jack O’Brien, and Chief Karl Knott in developing this and other projects on behalf of the borough.”
“This is an exciting and unique project worthy of participation from a host of stakeholders, including the Commonwealth,” Mayor Strouse said. “Its value to our community is undisputed and its value beyond the community is considerable as well. With this help we will turn a brownfield into parkland, for the enjoyment of all. Using the existing building, we will preserve and repurpose a classic facade while providing essential space for modern community-based regional policing, leading to the accreditation of our department, and we will provide environmentally sensitive space for municipal services.”
“The plan for the adaptive reuse of the PennDOT building has been discussed for a very long time,” O’Brien said. “As the relocation of PennDOT to the new facility gets closer we have been focusing on being ready to move quickly on the rehabilitation of the old facility.
“Planning included engineering work as well as the necessary financing for the project.”
Police Chief Knott said, “A new police facility has become vitally important to the operational needs and accreditation of this department.”
The three-year redevelopment project is scheduled to begin in December and will include matching funds from the local level.
“I want to thank Gov. Wolf for releasing these funds to such a deserving project,” Ullman said. “It’s critical that our state government participates in municipal projects such as these so the project’s entire financial cost doesn’t lie with local taxpayers. The RACP funds will help make Doylestown Borough and Central Bucks a safer place to live.”
