Lehighton intends to move forward with its administrative office construction drawings for Community Development Block Grant funded projects.

On Monday, borough council agreed to spend an amount not to exceed $13,170 to complete an architectural plan for the downstairs office.

The cost would be $11,670 for architectural, structural and other work, and an additional $1,500 to ensure that the entire footprint of the ground floor, including emergency exits and sidewalks, are shown in the drawings so that the drawings are usable for multiple projects down the road.

Before the vote, borough Manager Dane DeWire explained that the borough has its 2024 surplus of Community Development Block Grant funds to be used to apply for ADA billing counters to make the billing office ADA compliant.

DeWire noted the borough isn’t permitted to use CDBG funds for design work, including the 2025, 2026 and 2027 CDBG funds, which will require design work for a proposed elevator shaft and assembly.

He said the borough is also using 2025, 2026 and 2027 funding to hopefully apply for an elevator to make the entire building ADA compliant.

In April 2025, DeWire told council that the borough was running out of Americans with Disabilities Act projects.

He then suggested stacking the borough’s 2025, 2026 and 2027 CDBG funds for a possible elevator to make the building 100% ADA compliant.

DeWire said at that time he received an estimate for the installation of an elevator in the amount of $108,800.

He said then the project will also require the installation of a concrete block elevator shaft.

DeWire said the elevator would likely be installed somewhere between the stairs and the fountain on the first floor.

He previously said that the administration building has ADA crosswalks, ramps and doors at both the North and South Street entrances.

The consensus of council then was that the installation of an elevator would be a good use for the CDBG funds.

Councilman Grant Hunsicker previously said he believes the municipal building was constructed sometime during the 1930s.