Ambler's Boiler House Project Recieves $2.5M Grant From EnergyWorks

The Boiler House in Ambler has sat empty for approximately 40 years, once being the power generating station for the Keasbey and Mattison Company, which was known for manufacturing asbestos building materials.

After 40 years, the Boiler House is getting a second life as a LEED-certified office building.

Montgomery County Commissioners were at the site Tuesday to announce a $2.5 million grant from EnergyWorks.

EnergyWorks is a program of the Metropolitan Caucus and is a coalition of county council members and commissioners from Montgomery County, as well as Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties, and the mayor of Philadelphia.

The building will have a geothermal HVAC system, a solar hot water system, and a rainwater filtration system that will use the captured water for toilets and other uses, among other sustainability measures.

The developer intends to seek LEED Platinum certification, which is the highest level of LEED certification that is offered.

The Boiler House project totals close to $15 million and, once completed, will open jobs to approximately 120 to 140 employees. The building will have approximately 42,000 square feet of rentable space and will house between 10 and 12 tenants.

The building is in a prime location to boost the walkable town initiative, located next to the Ambler SEPTA Regional Rail Line and the revitalized downtown district.

“We are in a hot town, and Ambler is only going to get hotter,” said County Commissioner Joe Hoffel.

The developer for the project, John Zaharchuk, said by June of next year, construction should be completed, and tenants should be moving in by the fourth quarter of 2012.