Supervisors Approve Final Plan Review for Community Center

NEWTOWN SQUARE–The approved the final plan review for the demolishing and renovation project to the at a Board of Supervisors meeting Feb. 28.

Plans to demolish nearly half of the 71,000-square-foot community center–located off of West Chester Pike and Media Line Road–to a 35,000-square-foot building for administrative offices and recreational facilities have been approved by the Newtown Planning Commission and was unanimously approved by the supervisors Monday night.

According to Paul Hughes, project engineer, some of the cited permits included in the project are "some additional parking, some secure dated bus parking, fully construction of the parking lot closest to West Chester Pike and installation of subgrade of infiltration facilities below the parking lot."

Additionally, the project will call for landscaping improvements in the parking lot as well as along the perimeter, as required by code, said Hughes. Six waiver requests were recommended for approval for the project by the Planning Commission, according to Hughes.

"We're here to introduce the project to you and for final plan approval of the project," said Hughes before the board.

According to John McDevitt, school board liaison to the Facilities and Transportation Committee, the estimated project cost will be $7.7 million with a projected $1 million grant. However, McDevitt said, the district believes the project will realistically total to a "high $6 million," and a completely new building could be as high as $20 million.

In need of repairs and major renovations, the building was built in the 1900s and suffered a fire in 1954. The plan will get rid of the existing cafeteria and several of the classrooms, which were used when the building was originally built for the district's high school. The gym will also see a face lift in addition to the administrative offices.