Centre County Commissioners finalized a contract Tuesday to begin design work for renovation of the former Centre Crest building in Bellefonte, saying repurposing the building will benefit residents for years to come.
MG architects will design the renovations for the facility, which has more than 100,000 square feet in usable space, and the county is planning to use at least 80% of the space as offices.
Once details, including layout, electric and plumbing, are decided, the bidding process for those projects will begin in early 2023. The majority of renovations will take place after that.
Chairman of Centre County Board of Commissioners Michael Pipe said having more space for staff to provide more streamlined services is a top priority right now. He said revitalizing the building in Bellefonte will be “a multi-generational investment.”
“Instead of having to maybe jump to a number of different offices in a number of different buildings, under one roof at Centre Crest we would house many of our human service agencies,” Pipe said. “That allows for better coordination across offices as well with the staff there.”
Pipe estimated that the renovated building will be put into use beginning mid-2024.
The building formerly housed the Centre Crest nursing home until 2021 and was rezoned to be government office space. Pipe said about one-fifth of the space could potentially be used by groups that work closely with the county, but details are yet to be determined.
