Township Seeks Answers to Two Big Questions

What should be done with the existing library? Where should the police and municipal court go? The township is turning to experts for advice.

With the help of its architect, Moorestown is hoping to soon put two unanswered questions to rest: What should it do with the existing library once the new one is built? Where should the police department and municipal court be located? Ragan Design Group, which has shepherded the town hall project, will investigate those two questions on behalf of the township for a $25,000 fee. Township manager Scott Carew said the work, and the associated fee, falls under the scope of the township’s original contract with Ragan. “We have this money, because of how much we bonded (for the town hall project), and how far below budget it came in at,” Carew said. Carew personally thinks the library—given its age and the amount of work that would be needed …

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'I Would Love to Load Main Street with People'

A touching tribute to Vietnam veterans will make its way to Moorestown this summer.

Can't make it to Washington, D.C. to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial? Well, the next best thing will be rolling into Moorestown this summer. Thanks to the efforts of local veterans, "The Wall That Heals," a traveling replica of the D.C. memorial, will visit Moorestown for several days in June. Army veteran Dave Walters, who served in Vietnam from 1968-69, said the wall will come to town on Tuesday, June 4. His plan is to have the wall roll through downtown on its way to a large, open area behind the YMCA, where it will be situated during its stint in Moorestown. The wall will remain there from June 5-9, leaving on the 10th.  Walters said he'd "love to load Main Street with people" for the wall's trip through town.  Though Walter himself …

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Major Construction Underway All Over Moorestown

A theater, a town hall, athletic fields, an office building and more—stuff's going up all across town.

These days it seems like half of Moorestown is under construction. From the new Regal Cinemas theater at the mall, to the office building going in at the Little Acme, to the oft-debated municipal complex on Second Street, there's no shortage of major projects—public and private—underway all over town. In case you can't keep them all straight, we've provided a rundown below on most of the major ones, including what they're for, how much they cost, when they started and, most importantly, when they'll finish. Regal Premium Experience theater What: A 12-screen state-of-the-art theater, with 3D, digital projection screens, and stadium seating with reclining seats (plus surround sound and kiosks for automated ticket purchasing). Where: …

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Construction of Town Hall Underway

Crews from Sambe Construction began prepping the site last week.

After residents spent weeks waiting for progress on the construction of the new municipal complex, heavy machinery began moving in late last week. Crews from Sambe Construction have been prepping the site of the future town hall/library building throughout the week, clearing the area of trees and removing concrete from the parking lot to ready it for construction.  According to the original timeline prepared by construction management firm Greyhawk—which you can see by clicking on the attached PDF—the actual erection of the structure is anticipated to begin this month. That timeline is outdated however, and the updated version has yet to be posted to the township website.  Sambe has approximately 450 days (weather-permitting) to finish …

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Under the Radar

Moorestown, Gift-Rapped

'Tis the Season for a look back at 2012, Mo'town style!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Moorestown, Lack of parking near Main Street was getting us down. The lot was fenced off all around old town hall, And EDAC was celebrating out at the mall. Mo’towners were nestled all snug in their beds, whilst visions of fine dining danced in their heads. Maybe Emeril or Paula, well Vetri for sure! Perhaps Morimoto, with a crab soup du jour. On the library roof there arose such a clatter, Perhaps ‘twas my critics? Ah well, they don’t matter! Perhaps ‘twas Mark Morgan, he’s put up a new show! He’s cast all of Moorestown, 20,000 or so. But at the library, things weren’t going so well, Patrons complained, “Holy Cow! What’s that smell?” Away to the window to let in the breeze, “How sad,” we …

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At the Library

Tips for a Stress-Free Library Experience

Need to know where to park? Or when the library's open? Or wondering just what the heck is going on? Moorestown librarians have the answers.

If you’ve visited the Moorestown Library lately, or even just driven by, you’ve noticed things have changed a lot in a short time, especially when it comes to parking. While it’s a welcome sign that progress has finally begun on our new town hall and library, we realize this situation will definitely take some getting used to. So, we at the library offer this list of FAQs to help us all get through the initial frustration. Is the library open? Yes! The library is open during our regular hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday ; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday. What’s going on? A fence now encircles the entire construction area, plus the parking lot, from Second Street to Third Street and from Washington …

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Crews Prep Site of Moorestown Town Hall Construction

Sambe Construction will use an alternative method—rather than the noisy, potentially disruptive rapid impact compaction—to prep the ground for construction.

Crews wrapped chain-link fence around the perimeter of the soon-to-be municipal complex Monday, as Sambe Construction prepares to break ground on the 45,000-square-foot structure later this month. The fencing will block off virtually the entire parking lot for the library and recreation center, except for a small section outside the rec center, throughout construction, which is expected to take roughly 450 days.  To prepare the ground for construction, crews will have to perform a "soil exchange," which involves removing the loose soil underneath the site of the old town hall and replacing it with denser soil, explained Sambe vice president Yan Girlya. Project architects Ragan Design Group had originally recommended a process known as …

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JustWondering

11:54 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A change order becomes appropriate if there is a proposed modification to either the end date of the overall project schedule, or the total cost of the project. According to the information reported, there is no cost impact, and this is such a small component of the overall schedule, it is unlikely that there is a "big picture" schedule impact. So - no change order. BTW - I am not an apologist …   more ›

Moorestown Town Hall Construction Will Start by Month's End

Construction crews are expected to install a fence today blocking off the library parking lot, which will remain up throughout construction.

The weather could have been nicer, but still everyone was all smiles at the groundbreaking for Moorestown’s new town hall Friday morning.   Scott Carew pointed out that he was the third township manager to work on the project, which also went through three mayors and two architects to come to fruition—not to mention more than $3 million in planning expenses. Mayor John Button was excited to finally see construction get underway, more than a year after the original building was demolished and five years after it was damaged by fire. “It’s a great facility and it’s been conspicuously missing,” he said. “I kind of look at this as the launch of the mothership. This is the pulse of the town.” Yan Girlya, vice president of Sambe Construction, …

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Groundbreaking for New Town Hall Friday

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new municipal complex will be held at 10 a.m. Friday.

Five years after fire damaged town hall and more than a year after the building was demolished, the township will finally break ground on the new municipal complex. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the site of the new complex, across from the Moorestown Library. Mayor John Button said he expects construction to begin very soon after, possibly as early as Monday. "They'll put the fences up ... They have to take trees down," he said. "I think that kind of work will start up right away." During construction, much of the parking lot by the library and recreation center will be closed off. Library and rec center patrons will be able to use the municipal lot across the street, behind the Main Street shops. The township…

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Council Awards $11.1 Million Town Hall Contract

Members of Moorestown council went with Sambe Construction—despite the contractor's involvement in a messy project elsewhere in SJ. Construction is slated to begin soon.

After five years of planning, Moorestown is just a few weeks away from breaking ground on a brand new town hall and library. Township council unanimously awarded a contract to Pennsauken-based Sambe Construction for $11.1 million for construction of the complex, which was $1.6 million cheaper than the projected cost. “I feel terrific about it. It’s been a long haul,” said Mayor John Button, who acknowledged that he was pleased he could cross the project off his “to do” list after vowing to get it done when he took office four years ago. “It’s going to be a wonderful thing for our town,” he added. Sambe was one of 28 contractors that bid on the project last week, according to Rob Notley, project executive with Greyhawk, which is overseeing …

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