Montco to spend $276M renovating county facilities

Montgomery County commissioners, in an ongoing effort to help revitalize Norristown, Pa., has committed to spending upwards of $276 million on a series of construction projects involving the courthouse and the government structures surrounding it.

The multi-phase project that could take a decade to complete is ambitious.

It would redefine and reposition the county's facilities in a way that has never been done before whether for lack of political will, funding or focus.

“This is the most significant investment that the county has or will make for a generation,” said Josh Shapiro, chair of the county commissioners.

The vision for creating a government campus of sorts in the heart of Norristown has been four years in the making and prompted by, among other reasons, the need to provide better and more modern workspace for the government and its employees. For the courthouse and judicial center, beefing up security was one of the main goals.

“The courthouse is in desperate need of revitalization and One Montgomery Plaza is in need of a complete rebuild,” Shapiro said about two of the main buildings from which the county operates. For any one who visits either One Montgomery Plaza at 425 Swede St. or the courthouse, it’s apparent both are long overdue for extensive interior and exterior work.

The county hired AthenianRazak, a real estate consulting firm based in Philadelphia, to analyze the county’s facilities and make recommendations.

Late last month, elected officials reviewed three proposals presented by AthenianRazak that involved different scenarios for addressing the aging county government buildings. The commissioners selected a plan that would cost between $233 million to $276 million and involve the construction and renovation of between 567,000 to 627,000 square feet.

The work would happen in three phases and entail:

1. Building a new addition to the courthouse, renovating the existing courthouse garage and re-doing the facade of One Montgomery Plaza, which is the main administrative office building used by the county;
2. Renovating the existing courthouse, razing what is known as courthouse plaza, opening up Penn Street and making upgrades to Hancock Square; and
3. Renovating the interior of One Montgomery Plaza.

There’s still more engineering and design work required before construction would begin, but the commissioners are keen on pursuing the plan. Construction on the first phase could begin sometime next year, Shapiro said.

   

The project is also part of a willingness on the county’s part to do more to revitalize Norristown. There are several infrastructure projects and other efforts in the works that could help turnaround the community that has struggled for decades.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal