Borough Building Updates

Demolition Begins

Council awarded a contract to Gil Berry and Associates at the July 5th Regular Council meeting for the asbestos abatement and demolition of the former Municipal Building located at 7560 Roslyn Street. The Notice to Proceed was issued and the asbestos abatement and demolition are beginning. Abatement will likely take about 6 weeks to complete, after which the rest of the building will be leveled. Construction of the new building should begin in the early spring.

Swissvale Municipal Building Project

August 2022 - The Borough of Swissvale is in the process of designing a new Municipal Building to replace the current 116 year old building. The plan would include the demolition of the existing building located at the corner of Roslyn Street and South Braddock Avenue and constructing a new building on the same property.

The plans shown here are the results of the schematic design process completed by CORE Architects and Lennon, Smith, Souleriet Engineers and recommended by the Swissvale Borough Municipal Building Committee. The plans represent a concept of what the new Municipal Building will look like but are subject to some modifications throughout the design process.

The project is being designed with sustainability in mind and all aspects of the building and site development will meet or exceed the requirements of the building codes. Solar panels are planned for the building, all plumbing fixtures will be low flow, all lighting circuits will be controlled by motion sensors and all HVAC equipment will be high efficiency in order to keep our energy costs low and help reduce our carbon footprint.

Please click through the slideshow below to view images and read descriptions of the proposed designs.

Swissvale Borough Council will be voting on September 7, 2022 whether or not to move to the next stage of the design process.

Please check back for periodic updates on the design and construction of our new Swissvale Borough Municipal Building.

Site Overview

The site layout will change dramatically from its current orientation. The picture above shows South Braddock Avenue running along the top. Roslyn Street is to the left side. Ardmore Street is to the right. All vehicular access to the site will be from Roslyn Street and Ardmore Street. There will no longer be vehicular access from South Braddock Avenue. The main entrance of the building will now face South Braddock Avenue rather than Roslyn Street. The upper level of the building will be accessible from both South Braddock Avenue and Roslyn Street.
North View 01

An open air plaza is proposed along Roslyn Street which will allow the community to use the area as a rest area while on a walk or as a meeting area for groups of people who are looking for a place to meet their friends. The plaza also leads into the Community Room inside the building. The possibilities of the plaza and the Community Room are many.
North View 02

The new two-story building will house the administrative offices, Council Chambers and Community Room on the upper floor of the building which will be accessed via an entrance facing South Braddock Avenue.
East View

Adequate parking for staff, police vehicles and visitors are provided and the design of the building and site will provide 100% accessibility to all individuals. A half-court basketball court is also being proposed on the site to enhance the recreational amenities available in our community.
South View

The lower level of the building will house the Swissvale Borough Police Department and will be accessed from the rear of the building. There will be an elevator and stairs connecting both floors of the building for the convenience of the residents who use the building and access to both floors can be obtained from either entrance.
West View 01

Details of the upper floor include a 1,700 square foot Council Chambers that will double as a Community Room that members of the community can rent for special occasions such as bridal or baby showers, graduation parties, family reunions and similar events. There will be no built-in furniture so that this is truly a flexible space to be used by both the Borough Council and the community. There will also be a warming kitchen attached to the space which is accessible from both the inside and outside of the building for users and/or caterers to easily access.
1st Floor Borough Building

The Council Chambers/Community Room is located on the right and shown with furnature set up for a Council Meeting. The warming kitchen is in the upper right corner which is accessible from both the inside and outside of the building for users and/or caterers to easily access. Other features of the first floor include eight (8) private gender-neutral restrooms, the relocation of the Swissvale Borough tax office and areas for the administrative staff including offices, conference rooms, record storage, a break room and a secure reception area to greet the public. The lobby will also offer areas to contain Swissvale history and memorabilia.
Lower Level Borough Building

The lower level of the building can be accessed at grade from the rear parking lot or from the upper floor via stairs or elevator. The lower level contains the Swissvale Police Department along with mechanical and electrical rooms. The Police Department will feature a sally port for the safe transportation of detainees into the building, an armory, a secure evidence room, a squad room, offices for detectives and supervisors, break room and locker rooms. Although the squad room and locker rooms are currently larger than what we need, we are designing the building for the future which may include regionalizing police services in the area.

Contracts Awarded

Spring 2022 - Swissvale Council awarded a contract to CORE Architects for the design of a new municipal building to replace the existing Borough Building at the corner of South Braddock Avenue and Roslyn Street. CORE has done other work in the Borough including designs for the Dickson STEAM Academy renovations and the proposed designs for the Swissvale Library.

Council also awarded a contract to LSSE Engineers for the Civil and Geotechnical Engineering work for the new building. The Building Committee, which is chaired by Council member William Price and includes council members Weldianne Scales and Shawn Alfonso Wells, will be meeting with design consultants and staff to begin the design process.

Ms. Scales shared at a recent council meeting that both CORE Architects and LSSE Engineers met the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals that the Building Committee has set for this project.

These are the very preliminary steps of a long and detailed process. We are anticipating a nine-month design and permitting process. We would like to demolish the current building by the end of 2022 and break ground for the new building early in 2023. We will continue to update you on the progress of the design and construction.

Borough Building Replacement Plan

Spring 2020 - The necessity to either completely renovate or replace the aging Borough Municipal Building has been a lingering concern for years. In the spring of 2020, the urgency to address the building’s condition was further highlighted when the rear wall of council chambers collapsed onto and through the roof of the Public Works garage. (Pictured below.) Thankfully, no one was injured.

Council has spent the past year working with CORE Architects to determine if it was feasible to renovate the Borough Municipal Building and continue to occupy the 115 year-old structure. After a thorough analysis, CORE found that the building needed far too many repairs to make it economically feasible to renovate due to code compliance, structural and environmental issues. CORE has recommended the demolition of the existing building and construction of a new 14,000 square foot municipal building at the existing location at the corner of S. Braddock and Roslyn.

Borough Building Questions / Feedback

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The Borough Council Building Committee welcomes and encourages residents to share their feedback and ask any questions that they may have about the new Borough Building plans and process. Questions will be answered as quickly as possible and feedback will be shared with the Building Committee Members.
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Borough Building Updates

Demolition Begins

Staff Relocation

Swissvale Municipal Building Project

Site Overview

North View 01

North View 02

East View

South View

West View 01

1st Floor Borough Building

Lower Level Borough Building

Cost Estimate and Building Schedule

Core Boring Complete

Contracts Awarded

Borough Building Replacement Plan

Borough Building Questions / Feedback

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