$2.6M In Grants Coming To Doylestown Area Projects, Institutions

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Nine projects and community agencies and institutions in the Doylestown area will benefit from the latest round of state grants coming out of Harrisburg.

State Senator Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Tim Brennan have announced the following Local Share Account grants for public safety, infrastructure, and community improvement projects:

Biotechnology Center

The Bucks County Biotechnology Center will use its grant to expand a conference room inside of its building located in Buckingham Township.

The life science incubator is dedicated to the creation of a world-class biotechnology center for economic development, job creation, education, and training. The center also provides building space to nonprofit organizations and community groups at no cost to facilitate meetings, events, and essential services.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

The center plans to renovate 3,000 square feet of existing conference rooms, undersized kitchenette, and underutilized offices into a flexible, multi-purpose community meeting hub.

“The Biotechnology Center in Buckingham has long been not only a local but national leader in launching new technologies and companies that are creating jobs and saving lives in the life science sector,” said Senator Santarsiero. “This funding will help them improve their conference facilities, which they also share with other local nonprofit organizations.”

Added Rep. Brennan, “The Bucks County Biotech Center is more than a center for cutting-edge research. This investment will create new, flexible spaces designed to bring people together to learn, collaborate and build new opportunities. It will help expand the center’s role as a hub for innovation, community, and economic growth right here in Bucks County.”

Moravian Tile Works

The Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown will use its grant to install radiant floor heating at the historic Tile Works, a living history museum that has produced tiles since its founding.

Tile Works officials say the building’s mechanical systems and its patchwork of electric and gas space heaters are inadequate to support visitation and programming during the colder winter months. They plan to install a hydronic radiant floor heating system that will provide higher levels of comfort on cold winter days to visitors.

“This investment in radiant floor heating will help ensure that the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works can continue welcoming visitors and providing educational programming throughout the year,” said Senator Santarsiero. “The Tile Works is an important part of Doylestown’s history and a unique place where people can experience the arts and crafts traditions that have been part of our community for generations.”

American Legion Post

American Legion Post 210 in Doylestown Borough will use its grant to update the building's outdated kitchen from the 1930s to meet modern safety and building codes. The current kitchen lacks proper ventilation and fire suppression, requiring a full gut renovation to remain functional for veterans and community events. Planned upgrades include new flooring, walls, ceilings, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and a code-compliant hood and suppression system. The project will also install commercial-grade appliances to support Post 210’s broader effort to revitalize the facility and strengthen its role as a community and veteran hub.

“Organizations like American Legion Post 210 play an important role in bringing veterans and the broader community together, but maintaining an older facility can be a real challenge,” said Senator Santarsiero. “This investment will give Post 210 a safe, modern kitchen that can better serve veterans and residents at community events for years to come.”

Oscar Hammerstein Museum

The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center in Doylestown Township will use its grant to address safety hazards at Highland Farm, the historic home of Oscar Hammerstein II, which now serves as a museum and theatre education center.

The project will add a professionally installed safety cover to the historic pool, reconstruct the deteriorated pool house as a nonfunctional decorative structure, and remove the crumbling tennis court to restore safe, accessible grounds.

The improvements will eliminate safety hazards, preserve the property's historic character, and allow the museum to better host school groups, families, and community events, expanding access to the site.

Highland Farm in Doylestown Township.

“Highland Farm where visitors can learn about the life and legacy of Oscar Hammerstein II is an important part of Bucks County’s cultural history,” said Senator Santarsiero. “By addressing these safety hazards, we can help ensure that Highland Farm can continue welcoming school groups, families and community members and sharing this important piece of our local history with future generations.”

“Preserving our history doesn’t stop at keeping old buildings standing. Smart preservation efforts make sure we can continue to use these unique places that helped build our communities, enjoying them and passing them along from generation to generation,” Rep. Brennan said.

“At Moravian Tileworks, that means making the building able to be enjoyed comfortably by visitors and tourists through the coldest months. At American Legion Post 210, it means renovating the kitchen so it can remain a safe gathering place for servicemembers who rely on it for camaraderie and companionship,” Rep. Brennan continued. “And at the Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center, it means fixing the safety hazards and making other necessary renovations to the building so the people who staff it can keep sharing the important history of its namesake.”

Doylestown Hospital

Doylestown Hospital will use its grant to purchase a courier van. One of the hospital vans currently used to transport medications, medical specimens, and medical supplies at Penn Medicine Doylestown Health is aging and unreliable and a replacement is needed.

“Supporting the infrastructure behind our healthcare system is an investment in the health and well-being of our community,” said Senator Santarsiero. “This investment will help Doylestown Hospital make sure that medications, medical specimens and supplies can get where they need to go safely and efficiently.”

River Crossing YMCA

The River Crossing YMCA will use its grant for a skatepark renovation project in Doylestown Township. The project will involve the revitalization of the Doylestown Y Skate Park. The skatepark has served the community for decades through open skate sessions, day camps, and as the home of the local high school skate club.

The project includes demolition of the existing structure and installation of a new steel skatepark, elements, and fencing. The completion of this project will allow the community to benefit from the skatepark for decades to come.

“The Doylestown Y Skate Park has been a place where generations of young people have come together to skate, learn new skills and build community,” said Senator Santarsiero. “This investment will give the park a new lease on life, creating a safe and modern space for skaters in Doylestown for years to come. Recreation spaces are worthwhile investments that make our communities healthier and happier.”

“Public service takes many forms, and sometimes the most important investments are those that allow an institution to keep showing up for its community. Doylestown Hospital’s new courier van will keep their essential operations moving. Renovating the skatepark at the Doylestown Y will keep it safe and welcoming for young people who need somewhere to gather and have fun together,” Rep. Brennan said.

“These are very different projects, but they share a common thread: they’re investments into the spaces where neighbors can learn, gather, and care for one another,” Rep. Brennan continued.

Central Bucks Regional Police

The Central Bucks Regional Police Department will use its grant to purchase portable radios for use in the three communities it serves - Doylestown Borough, Chalfont Borough, and New Britain Borough.

The department is currently experiencing service issues related to outdated portable radio communication devices that its officers use to communicate internally and with Bucks County. The communication radios are 12 years old and do not provide a supportive signal, which leads to interrupted service and poses safety concerns for the officers and the public.

The Central Bucks Regional Police Department.

“Reliable communication is essential for keeping our police officers and the public safe,” said Senator Santarsiero. “Our officers need dependable equipment, especially when responding to an emergency. This investment will replace outdated radios and help ensure officers have the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

Doylestown Township Police

The Doylestown Township Police Department will use its grant for the purchase of 30 portable handheld radios, a drone, and associated accessories. The police department's current radios are at the end of their life and are no longer repairable. The drone will be used to assist with crowd surveillance and improve the accuracy of accident diagrams and scene reconstruction without putting victims or officers in further danger.

“Having reliable equipment is essential for our police officers to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Senator Santarsiero. “These new radios will ensure Doylestown Township officers can communicate reliably when responding to emergencies, while the drone will give them another tool to assess scenes and document accidents without putting officers or the public at additional risk on busy roads. This investment will strengthen public safety and give our local police the equipment they need to serve our community.”

“Good police work has always depended on good judgment, and today it also depends greatly on having the right tools. Modern radios and drones can give officers better information when they need it – and they give the public greater confidence in how tense moments are handled, building trust between police departments and the public they serve,” Rep. Brennan said.

“I’m glad to see the state making modern tools available to the officers in our communities who are asked to make difficult decisions in high-stress moments. And I’m grateful to the officers who put these tools to work in service of your family, mine, and our neighbors,” Rep. Brennan continued.”

Midway Volunteer Fire Company

The Midway Volunteer Fire Company will use its grant to purchase a fire engine for use in Buckingham Township. At 19 and 29 years old, both engines owned by the fire company are beyond their service life and require significant ongoing repairs and downtime. They are no longer capable of providing the highest quality fire protection services and they are ultimately unsafe not only for the members as drivers and passengers, but for the community at large.

The fire company plans to replace both outdated and unsafe engines with a new compliant rescue engine. The fire company plans to purchase a new apparatus with a six-person cab, 1,000-gallon tank, 1,500 GPM pump, and 60 gallons of foam. It will also be equipped with an adequate supply hose, six preconnected attack lines, and space for rescue tools.

“Residents rely on local fire companies to keep them safe, and our fire companies need updated vehicles and tools to do their job,” said Senator Santarsiero. “I will always support funding for our heroic first responders, like the firefighters at Midway Volunteer Fire Company, to make sure they have the equipment they need to serve our communities as safely as possible.”

Administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Local Share Account (LSA)- Statewide program allocates gaming revenue through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to support projects that improve the quality of life of citizens in the Commonwealth.