Doylestown Township Awards Bids For Rec Center, Central Park Projects

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Doylestown Township will invest nearly $13 million into a major improvement project at Central Park that will see the construction of a community recreation center and a new comfort station to service the park.

In a 4 to 1 vote on Tuesday, the board of supervisors awarded bids for the $12.9 million park improvement project and recreation center first proposed in 2021.

At the heart of the project is an 18,000-square-foot community recreation center to be built on Wells Road next to the township building. The center will include a 7,700 square foot gymnasium, 300 square foot warming kitchen, 2,850 square foot all-purpose room, and a 900 square foot indoor/outdoor patio area.

The Central Park Improvement Project also includes the construction of two new basketball courts, four new tennis courts, six pickleball courts, and two bocce ball courts off of Wells Road.

This shows the location of the improvement projects. In the foreground is Wells Road. The township building can be seen at the far right. The new Community Recreation Center is located in the center with parking around it. And the new courts are located to the left.

The interior layout of the Community Recreation Center. (Doylestown Township)

In addition, a Comfort Cottage housing public restrooms will be built near Kids Castle and the park's outdoor amphitheater at an estimated cost of $600,000.

The township will pay for the improvements with $1.5 million in grants secured by State Senator Steve Santarsiero, $1.5 million raised through its capital campaign, $400,000 in transfers, and $720,000 from the sale of a cell tower.

The balance will be funded by a bond issue that the township expects to take out this fall. The new debt service is projected to cost the average township taxpayer about $93 a year in additional municipal taxes.

"I do not make any decision that is going to cost our township residents more money lightly," said Supervisor Ryan Manion, pointing to her record on the board as its most fiscally conservative voting member. "But I am in support of this project because I see this project as an investment in the future of our township. I believe it is the right choice and that's what I was elected to do to make these decisions."

Manion encouraged residents to get involved in the process. "This is step one. You heard tonight that there are 14 months until completion. There are a lot of things you can get involved in and play a part in what this recreation center and park improvement project looks like," she said. "There's an opportunity for us to work together to find common ground. And I hope that in 10 years every single one of you will see what a worthwhile investment it was for Doylestown Township."

In response to residents' concerns over the cost of maintaining the building once it is built, Supervisor Dan Wood said their hope is that with the new building and new athletic courts, the township can expand its programming and turn its parks and recreation department into a self-sustaining program.

"We've been operating our parks and recreation department out of trailers, which has significantly scaled back what they are capable of doing," said Wood.

Views from inside the Community Recreation Center in Doylestown Township.

Supervisor Nancy Santacecilia broke with the board, voting against the award of the bid.

"We are making a huge financial mistake," said Santacecilia who implored the board to table the decision and to separate out the bids for individual votes.

"There's nothing here in this facility that isn't offered somewhere else," she said of the recreation center. "It's a duplication of services," she said noting that local gyms and the YMCA already offer gymnasium space for local residents.

"The biggest value of Central Park is the green space," she continued. "We saw that during COVID. We saw a huge influx of people on our paths and trails. Let's continue to be the leaders. We don't need to be the trendsetters. I implore the board to table this project and parse out the bids according to the projects. The way it's set up now is an all-or-nothing situation."

The vote followed an hour's worth of public comment during a well-attended late afternoon meeting of the supervisors.

During public comment, a number of senior citizens voiced concern over the estimated tax increase and asked the board not to move forward with the project.

Others voiced support for the plan, commending the supervisors on their vision and comparing them to the board that had the foresight to purchase Central Park.