Municipal Building Construction Plans Outlined

Cranford has just received the preliminary drawings for Phase I of construction on the exterior of the Cranford Municipal Building, according to Township Administrator Joe Hartnett.

Hartnett announced that work on the municipal building has been separated into two phases in order to protect and preserve the building.

“If we waited to get all of the interior design work, this project is going to get pushed quite a ways out,” he explained.

There are some immediate maintenance needs that the building has, Hartnett said and went on to introduce the exterior work that would be done as part of Phase I.

Some of the largest issues at hand are leaking due to the current gutters and restoring the cupola and trim work.

The work includes:

- Removing existing gutter and leaders and replacing it with adequately sized.

- Upgrading underground drainage where necessary.

- Restoring cupola and base; installing new finials/vases where missing; installing metal flashing and all PVC trim to replicate existing details.

- Replacing rusted railing with weatherproof railings (aluminum; powder coated).

-Removing all existing perimeter wood trim and replacing it with new PVC trim, in profiles, sizes and shapes to replicate existing details.

- Scraping, priming and painting existing details.

- Providing weatherproof exterior accent lighting for cupola.

-Installing new LED lighting at building entryways.

- Replacing boiler room doors with solid decorative doors; refinishing all building doors and replacing boiler room vent with glass block.
- Refinishing building louvers.

“The objective here is to get the building as protected, preserved and as maintenance free as possible,” Hartnett said. “This should button up the building and get it tight and protected from the weather and a little more beautiful.”

The Township does not have a cost estimate as of yet, but that is the next step, Hartnett added.