Members of the Norwin Regional Recreation Center Committee on Tuesday found out that constructing a proposed multimillion-dollar facility is going to be costly.

In January, committee members selected two sites: a 17.6-acre section of the former Carradam Golf Club and a North Huntingdon-owned 25-acre parcel on the former Maple Drive-in site, which houses the township public works complex.

Environmental Planning and Design was authorized to do a cost analysis for each site. It also was studying a 26-acre tract of the Weber Estate, off Colonial Manor Road.

"We could not ask the committee to pick a final location because they just got the hard numbers," said Roy Lenhardt, project coordinator.

Consultant Carolyn Yagle said all three locations are within the projected $18 million cost range.

The estimated construction cost of a proposed 60,000-square-foot center, at $200 per square foot, on all three sites is $13 million.

The anticipated property acquisition costs are: public works site, $1 (probable 99-year lease with reversion rights to the township); Carradam, $540,000; and the Weber tract, $1.5 million.

The estimated site preparation cost for the public works and Carradam sites is $3.5 million each. The cost for the Weber site is $2 million. Building furnishings for each is estimated at $1.5 million.

The Norwin School District tax and business offices reopened yesterday in new locations on the first floor of the newly renovated administration building, 271 McMahon Drive, on the high school campus in North Huntingdon.

During a $1.2 million renovation of that building, which began last fall, the tax office conducted business in Hahntown Elementary School. It was previously in the basement of the administration building.

So was the business office, which moved to Sheridan Terrace Elementary School in the fall.

The tax office collects earned income tax, per capita/occupation tax, municipal emergency services tax and local services tax from residents of Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin.

Other district operations that were displaced during the renovations will reopen in new locations in the building over the next two weeks, Superintendent Jack Boylan said.

"By the end of this month, everything should be running smoothly and pretty much back to normal," he predicted

District technology operations will open Friday in an expanded area of the lower level.

Elementary and secondary administrative staff is scheduled to move into new offices on Monday. Special education staff and food service department will be in operation on Tuesday.

Human resources and the superintendent's staff will be last to move in on Wednesday.

The North Huntingdon Municipal Authority has scheduled a public meeting for 7 p.m. March 25 in the main commissioners meeting room on the first floor of the Town House, 11279 Center Highway.

Information about Phase I of a proposed $1.2 million sewer line replacement project, in the Country Hills development, will be provided.

The authority plans to replace the public sanitary sewer lines throughout that plan in the next several years.

Phase I is expected to begin in a few months and would affect 127 properties on Adele Drive, Birchbrook Court, Caruthers Lane, Cedardale Drive, Crestwood Drive, Fieldstone Drive, Laurel Avenue and Westchester Drive.

The project would involve replacing about 6,500 lineal feet of terra-cotta main lines, which were installed in the mid-1960s.

Property owners who would be affected will receive a letter from the authority in a few days notifying them of the meeting. Property owners from whom NHTMA needs an easement will be notified at that time.

For more information, call authority General Manager Kate Petrosky, 724-863-2860.

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