Lower Merion pursues $1M state grant to plan public works redesign

Lower Merion's Board of Commissioners voted at a recent meeting to pursue up to $1 million in state funding to plan improvements to the township's aging public works complex in Penn Valley.

The board passed a resolution authorizing staff to apply for a Local Share Account (LSA) Statewide grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, Mainline Media News first reported. The money would cover most of the estimated $1.1 million Phase I planning and design cost for the Robert J. Koegel Public Works Complex, a 57.8-acre site that serves as the township's hub for refuse, recycling and public works operations.

The complex is old.

"It is an old complex, and that's an understatement," Assistant Township Manager Brandon Ford said at the meeting.

Ford said the grant would fund what he called "purely planning exercises" to assess the property's current condition and explore what improvements are possible. Phase I work would include geotechnical investigations, soil testing, a topographic survey and preparation of design and bid documents for a new transfer station and electric control building. The plan also calls for bid documents to demolish the existing transfer station.

The township is requesting the maximum $1 million allowed under the LSA program, which is funded by Pennsylvania gaming revenues and does not require a local match. That leaves a roughly $100,000 gap between the grant ceiling and the estimated Phase I cost. Township documents show the difference would come from additional grants or the township's Capital Improvement Program.

The LSA application window opened Sept. 1 and closes Nov. 30, according to state guidelines. A grant decision is expected in September 2027.

The program has already delivered funding to the Lower Merion area. The City Avenue Special Services District received a $400,000 LSA grant in September 2026 for sidewalk improvements along Bala Avenue and North Highland Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. Neighboring Upper Merion Township received $348,550 through the same program for its own public works facility renovations.

The township's 2027 budget process is also underway, with public hearings scheduled for Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 and adoption set for Dec. 16. How the roughly $100,000 funding gap fits into that budget cycle has not been disclosed. Residents can attend the public hearings to weigh in on capital spending priorities.