CINDY KNIER/The Luminary An estimated $1.9 million is anticipated to renovate and repair the Pennsdale Civic Center in Muncy Township. Blueprints of the project were available for the public to view last week in the municipal office.

A building built and dedicated a little over 20 years ago in Muncy Township is in dire need of renovations.

Blueprints for the project were available for public viewing last week at the township office. Gwen Pidcoe, township secretary, provided an overview of the project, estimated to cost between $1.7 and 1.9 million dollars. Half of that expenditure will go towards general repairs amounting to $750,000 towards a building that is 22 years old, Pidcoe said.

“We are working with Rep. Garth Everett and other County Commissioners on securing grants to renovate,” she said.

The vestibule entrance to the reception area which is above the municipal office has separated eight inches from the foundation because the original constructors did not compact the front lot correctly, Pidcoe said.

Along with the eight-inch gap is a leaky roof which has been a gateway for rainwater to seep inside the inner walls, creating a hole in the corner wall of the office and flooding the space with each downpour.

The last torrential storm caused water to enter the electrical room and wash over the main electrical box, posing a hazard.

“We knew the heating and air-conditioning unit and roof needed to be replaced, but our generator is outdated and finding parts for it is impossible,” she said, adding, “This building has been let go, and now the township has to eat the cost.”

Once the location of many a Friday bingo games, wedding receptions and Christmas parties, the civic center closed its doors as a venue over a year ago, Pidcoe said. “They just weren’t making enough money by the time all the utilities and associated costs were added up.”

A third of the upper renovated building will be unused and reserved for future development. Other spaces include an enlarged police department with separate holding rooms for adults and minors as well as genders, under federal regulations. Another space mandated is a separate locker room for female police, should any be hired by the township supervisors in the future.

“We’re only using what we have to use,” Pidcoe said, explaining that all township offices will be under one roof, including the construction equipment used by the township.

Part of the renovations include removing the entire vestibule entrance and creating a new entryway nearby. An addition designated as the extended public works garage roughly the length of the upper parking lot will house the township’s equipment, including a 1972 grader that is in remarkable condition. “It’s lasted as long as it has because it’s been sheltered from the elements,” Pidcoe said.