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He said the county has found a possible climate-controlled building that will provide more space and more protection for the devices. Barnhardt assured the board that the renovation could begin soon. Graham did, however, state that the timeline for the plan will depend on the county moving its voting equipment out of the warehouse.Ĭommissioner Kevin S. “And the bones of the existing facility are excellent despite the building being nearly 50 years old.” “Construction delays are a very serious reality right now, especially for major building components like steel,” he said. Graham said the renovations to the existing building would cost about $8.7 million to complete and could be done in a more timely fashion than constructing a building. There would also be additional space that could be rented to other organizations in need of a home.
#Berks county ag center windows
In addition to the renovations to reconfigure the building, Graham said a number of other improvements would be made like making the restrooms ADA compliant, installing more energy-efficient windows and giving the exterior a facelift. The Berks County Department of Agriculture could have its own office space in the warehouse or occupy space on the second floor – both options would increase its current workspace. Graham said the county forensic services unit would remain housed in the basement and the Berks County Penn State Extension would stay on the first floor of the building. The biggest changes to the building would include expanding the footprint of the two federal agencies on the second floor and converting the current warehouse into office space for the conservation district. He then outlined the renovations needed to bring the existing facility into compliance with the needs of the three organizations. But he noted the estimate does not include the cost to develop the land, which could potentially add a few million more to the price. Graham said bringing that design to life would cost about $7.2 million. They even had a 20,000-square-foot building designed by an architectural firm.
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The decision to move forward with the renovation plan was made after the commissioners viewed a presentation by Scott Graham of Muhlenberg Greene Architects that summarized two potential options for the board: renovate the facility or build a new structure.īuilding a new structure for the three organizations is a suggestion that Berks County Conservation District officials have previously floated.
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