Jim Thorpe chooses architectural firm for Memorial Hall work

Jim Thorpe Borough has tabbed the Spillman Farmer architectural firm for pre-bid work on plans to construct a new public works garage and relocate its police department and borough office.

Borough council accepted two separate proposals, one at $118,500 for the public works garage, and another for $178,500 for the police department and borough office.

Work to be provided by Spillman Farmer include civil engineering related to architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.

Last month, council approved moving forward with its building plans, which involve moving the borough office to a portion of the top floor of Memorial Hall, which is owned by the borough. The police department would occupy the basement of the hall, an area previously used as a roller skating rink. The current garage, next to Memorial Hall, would be demolished and a new facility constructed on borough property across from its water department on West Broadway.

“We’re happy and excited to be moving forward,” council President Greg Strubinger said following the 5-1 vote. “The public service garage is something some former council members have mentioned was on the back burner for some time.”

Strubinger said the proposals from Spillman Farmer came in well under what council had been anticipating.

“For each of these projects, we had budgeted over $300,000 for this work, so we’re very happy with the way it turned out,” he said.

According to borough Manager Maureen Sterner, if land development and geotechnical services are required of Spillman Farmer, it would add between $30,000 and $40,000 to what the borough will pay the architects.

Councilwoman Edith Lukasevich voted against the proposal, again voicing her opposition to moving the borough office to Memorial Hall.

Currently, both the police department and borough staff share a 10-year-old building just down the parking lot from the hall.

“I can’t support this,” she said. “I’m in favor of the garage and the police department, but I have a lot of problems with municipal offices in Memorial Hall.”

For years the hall was operated as a banquet facility, and council said space will remain for a function of up to 250 people, down from 600.

Former hall manager and chef Jim McHugh, along with wife Sherry, have been outspoken about the borough’s plans for its office staff.

Sherry presented a petition in December she said was signed by between 400 and 500 residents against moving the offices to Memorial Hall.

Coinciding with the relocation of the police department and borough offices, Strubinger said, Memorial Hall will receive what he considers “much needed” heating, ventilation and air-conditioning improvements along with other physical upgrades.

He believes it will also address space issues in the current shared building.

“I think this takes care of a lot of the facility needs of the borough for well into the foreseeable future,” he said.