CRANBERRY TWP — The township’s municipal building might get a new roof and HVAC system after the board of supervisors voted to contract out drawings and schematics for the project.

During a meeting Thursday night, the supervisors also decided to renovate and expand parts of the 94,000-square-foot building instead of buying a new one.

Assistant township manager Duane McKee during a presentation said he and his team considered five options for upgrading the existing facility.

He said the cost to replace both the roof and HVAC system would be more than $2 million, while the cost to build a new municipal center would come in at more than $35 million.

In addition, McKee said officials plan on expanding both the township’s library and parks and recreation departments within the building.

Manager Jerry Andree said before the meeting the township bought the building in 1988, and it was built in the 1940s and previously served as a foundry.

It currently serves as a community hub complete with the library, a senior citizen center and other amenities, but it also serves as the command post for township operations and the police department.

Andree said township officials weighed all the pros and cons of staying in the current building, or building a new facility, and came to the conclusion of maintaining the status quo for the foreseeable future.

“Does it make financial sense to continue investing in this building or to look at building a new one?” Andree said. “It’s a good question because this building is pretty old. After an extensive evaluation, we decided it makes sense to keep investing in this building.”

The township’s command center might not be moving any time soon, but that doesn’t mean some changes won’t be coming.

Andree said officials are looking to expand those aforementioned departments and will do so by utilizing space left vacant after the Cranberry Township Police Department moved to the other side of the building.

Andree went on to say he’s happy with the decision to remain in place, given that the township municipal building at its current location is the center of the community.

“It was a community effort to build a town center,” he said. “And it truly has become the center of the community.”

Andree added the project, if fully approved by the board of supervisors, likely won’t be bid out until sometime next year.

The vote to approve the schematic drawings was unanimous.