$25M Lower Bucks Co. Government Center Coming To Bristol Twp.

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA —It's two stories and 39,000 square feet. And when the new Lower Bucks Government Services Center is complete, it will house 13 county departments, including some row and court offices.

The Bucks County Commissioners broke ground Thursday on the future site of the center on a project they say will improve public access to county government. Watch the video of the groundbreaking ceremony below.

“For far too long, essential government offices and services have been difficult, if not impossible to access for too many residents of Bucks County,” Chief Operating Officer Margie McKevitt said. “This administration considers it our obligation to ensure county government serves everyone who lives and works here, and we’re proud to be taking this tremendous step today toward meeting that goal.”

The new facility will be built on the county’s campus along New Falls Road where it will replace the existing, outdated 8,600-square-foot county government building.

The new building will provide updated workspaces for departments already in the existing building while bringing those with offsite offices into a single, convenient location.

Construction costs, though not finalized with some work still out to bid, are estimated at about $25 million.

The bidding process for the project is expected to conclude by the end of the year with construction expected to begin early next year and take about two years to complete.

Departments with permanent offices in the new building will include:

• Adult Probation
• Board of Elections
• Children & Youth Social Services Agency
• Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures
• District Attorney’s Office
• Domestic Relations
• Health Department
• Juvenile Probation
• Prothonotary
• Register of Wills
• Sheriff’s Office
• Veterans’ Affairs
• Workforce & Economic Development

Designs for the new building have been produced by Erdy McHenry Architecture, with land development engineering services provided by Carroll Engineering and construction management to be performed by TN Ward Co.

Among the officials at the groundbreaking ceremony included David McHenry, of Erdy McHenry Architecture; Margie McKevitt, Bucks County Chief Operating Officer; Gail Humphrey, Bucks County Chief Clerk and Deputy COO; Craig Bowen, Bristol Township Council President; and Bucks County Commissioners Gene DiGirolamo, Commissioner Chair Bob Harvie, and Commissioner Vice Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia.