DALLAS TWP. — Township supervisors unanimously decided Tuesday to move ahead with the process of purchasing the former Hildebrandt Learning Center to house the municipal office and police department, rescinding their Feb. 12 vote against buying the building.
The facility, located at 105 Lt. Michael Cleary Drive will cost the township $1,315,000, and will be partially funded through a $1 million USDA loan with a fixed rate of 3.75 percent over 35 years. Supervisor Bill Grant said the remaining costs will be funded out of a $3 million surplus held by the township and the annual payment would be $51,340 for the township.
He also said renovations will cost an estimated $315,000 and will be needed in the lower level of the building where police headquarters will be located. The first floor will be reserved for the township’s administrative offices and will be ready for by the summer. The supervisors hope the police department will be able to move in by the end of 2018.
Supervisor Robert Wagner voted against purchasing the building last week, but now called it “a step in the right direction” for the township after examining the costs of renovating the current township building located at 2919 Route 309 and comparing it to the cost of buying and renovating the Hildebrandt property. During last week’s meeting, township engineer Ryan Doughton estimated the township would have to spend between $1.6 and $1.8 million to renovate and expand the current municipal building.
The current owner of the property is Hildebrandt Leasing LLC. Questions were raised in the past regarding Grant’s involvement with the company. He was part of Hildebrandt Leasing, but divested himself of the company in May 2015. Nonetheless, township Solicitor Tom Brennan advised Grant to abstain from voting on the matter last week out of caution.
“I never wanted anybody to ever claim that Bill Grant was acting improperly or getting some advantage out of this,” Brennan explained. “I wanted to protect to him.”
Brennan wanted to make it clear to the public that Grant has no personal interest in the building or current involvement with the company, dismissing any ideas about a conflict of interest.
