Franklin Township will move forward with a demolition project to make room for a new administration and police building.

Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously hired AR Popple Tkg & Exc LLC, Wilkes-Barre, to demolish the Hobby Shop building at 903 Fairyland Road per Carbon Engineering’s recommendation per PennBid results in the amount of $27,500.

The board’s decision came two weeks after it tabled the awarding of bids after it received three through PennBid. Other bids were from Brdaric Excavating Inc. ($38,600), and BrightFields, Inc. ($61,700).

Supervisors tabled the bid at that time so the township’s engineer had time to review and recommend or not recommend the bid. It had 30 days to award the bid.

They have to start within 90 days of awarding the bid.

In October, supervisors accepted the feasibility report for the former Carpenter’s Hobby Shop at 903 Fairyland Road, and to have Carbon Engineering complete a demo contract to demolish the building.

The township wants to build a building that would have enough room to accommodate eight police officers, administration, zoning officer, zoning hearing board and/or supervisors for when they have to go into executive session.

The plan is to knock down the former hobby shop building, and possibly the current administration office. The current township building is only 2,800 square feet.

In turn, the township would construct a new 7,200-square-foot building in between the former Hobby Shop site and current administration office.

In May, supervisors said the former hobby shop building was no longer an option for a potential township building expansion.

Township engineer Mike Tirpak, of Carbon Engineering, conducted a feasibility study on the former Hobby Shop Building and determined it isn’t worth repairing the building.

A scope of work listed work needed before the building could be demolished, such as asbestos inspection for removal, lead paint, pipes, underground and above ground storage tanks and chemical storage.

In April, supervisors agreed to cash in a matured CD from Third Coast Bank, Humble, Texas and place it in the township’s Capital Reserve fund so it can have easy access to the money.

The township started a building fund about 30 years ago with plans to build a new township building, and supervisors believe it has come to the point where the township needs to expand for the police department and its administration office meeting room.

Supervisors planned to have a feasibility study and then expand the building for either administrative office space or police offices.