Cranberry awards $7.5M in renovation contracts
CRANBERRY TWP — The board of supervisors awarded over $7.5 million in contracts Thursday, Aug. 3, to begin the municipal center building renovation project.
“This is going to go along simultaneously with the work on the front lawn which Armstrong is partnering with us on,” supervisors vice chairman Bruce Hezlep said.
The project aims to revitalize the building’s exterior in addition to remodeling the interior with more customer- and program-friendly spaces, a new council chambers, and expansions to administrative space.
It will done in conjunction with the Cranberry Township Community Chest’s 2023 Project of the Year: Replacing the building’s front parking with a green community space for residents, sponsored by Armstrong.
The awards were broken down into four separate contracts for general contracting, HVAC, plumbing and electrical.
√ General contracting was awarded to the FMS Construction Group for $5,176,361.
√ HVAC was awarded to K&K Mechanical Services, Inc. for $948,825.
√ Plumbing was awarded to East End Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc. for $457,900.
√ Electrical was awarded to Allegheny City Electric, Inc. for $933,500.
The combined total of $7,516,586 came in under the township’s estimated budget of $8 million for the project.
Mike Malak, director of engineering and environmental services, said the township hopes to break ground in early September, with the project expected to take 11 months.
Supervisors also approved the acquisition of 53 acres for Graham Park in the township from the Park Place development.
“It’s mostly for passive recreation at this point,” township manager Dan Santoro said. “And, as I mentioned last week, one section already has a trail through it, connecting it with the neighborhood.”
The two new parcels of property are the result of an agreement between the township and the development nearly 20 years ago during its approval.
“The board had to accept it first, we’ll get all the deeds — the executed deeds — and get that to us, and then we’ll get it up to the courthouse after that happens,” Santoro said.
Until then, the parcels will remain the private property of the developer, Santoro said, but he was optimistic the area would be open to the public by the end of the month.
Malak added that renovations at Graham Park’s UPMC Passavant Sportsplex were also nearing completion.
“That project is coming to a close,” he said. “The tennis court relocation and basketball court installation as part of the project, I’m proud to say, as of this afternoon are open to play.”
Earlier this year, the courts in the complex underwent major renovations, moving and replacing the area’s outdoor tennis, basketball and bocce ball courts and adding six new pickleball courts for the public.
The board also approved purchasing design services to extend license plate recognition in the township.
“So we have to get (highway occupancy permits) to put fiber in the state’s right of way to extend our system,” Santoro said. “So we need an engineer to design and apply for the HOP for the fiber.”
In early March, the township was awarded a nearly $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for a regional policing and license plate recognition project. Design and engineering, however, were not covered by the award, according to the township.
Thursday’s purchase award went to Herbert, Rowland & Grubic for $23,800.
Santoro said the township is looking to expand its current system along Routes 19 and 228 into the northern region of the township.
“We have a number of them,” he said. “Maybe six intersections or something like that.”
