$2.8 Million Grant Announced For Montco Government Complex Upgrade

UPPER MORELAND, PA — State and local elected officials gathered Wednesday at the Upper Moreland Township government complex to address a multi-million-dollar state grant that came through to help the municipality upgrade its infrastructure.

State Sen. Maria Collett, D-12, and State Rep. Nancy Guenst, D-152, dropped by the Upper Moreland Township municipal complex to announce $2,850,000 in state grant dollars to renovate the building that houses municipal government offices and construct a standalone state-of-the-art police station at the property, located along Park Avenue in the Willow Grove section of the township.

The grant money comes from Pennsylvania's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which is administered through the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of improvement projects that are deemed to add economic, cultural, civic and recreational benefits to communities across the commonwealth.

"The funding announced today will go a long way in providing the resources for the much-needed renovations to Upper Moreland Township's police station and township building," Guenst said in a statement. "In addition, this project will allow for necessary safety measures and precautions that the previous building lacked."

Clinton "Kip" McFatridge, president of the Upper Moreland Township Board of Commissioners, said that the community identified the need for the upgrades to the aging municipal complex around seven years ago, and that the funding that came through from the state this week would greatly help move the process along.

Collett said the grant dollars help to show the police officers in the township that their safety is a priority.

"This is a transformative investment for the people who live in Upper Moreland and those who serve them," Collett said in a statement. "To their credit, the men and women who work here have made do with what they have without ever sacrificing the quality of their service. But it's time to show our appreciation with more than words."

After the announcement Wednesday, Upper Moreland Police Chief Andrew Block and Township Manager Matthew Candland gave elected officials a tour of the space, highlighting various problems with the current building —constructed back in 1967 — that aim to be solved through the renovations.

This includes cramped and outdated holding, evidence storage and locker areas of the police department, which also has security and ADA accessibility concerns.