Bucks County plans to hire a structural engineer to assess repairs and develop a restoration plan for its aging Administration Building. County officials said the review will focus on brick restoration, facade masonry repairs, and cracking in the building’s rotunda.
The building was constructed in 1960 and includes a rotunda connected to a seven-story office tower. It houses 640 county employees, row offices, and other county departments, and it also hosts public events and commissioners’ meetings. The complex once served as both courthouse and administrative space, then shifted to an administrative facility after a $90 million Justice Center opened across the street in 2015. County officials said an interior renovation was completed in 2020.
County spokesperson James O’Malley said exterior maintenance has been neglected for decades in some cases, although the building remains structurally sound and the issues are largely superficial. A brick wall near the Court Street entrance recently collapsed due to weather, prompting the county to block off part of the area near the main entrance. O’Malley said officials want to inspect and shore up other walls before they reach a failure point.
The scope under review also includes repairs tied to the World War I memorial fountain, which has been closed off, and replacement of the rotunda windows. Officials said the original windows have cracked and failed over the last decade.
From a masonry restoration standpoint, the county’s approach highlights the value of engineering-led documentation for public work. A structural engineer’s evaluation and formal blueprints set the scope, access needs, and sequencing for brick and facade repairs, especially around rotundas, entrances, and other high-traffic areas. Phased funding also shapes the jobsite plan, with repeated mobilizations, safety barriers, and coordination that keeps an occupied building operating while exterior work moves forward. O’Malley said the county plans to pursue grants and use its own skilled trades staff for in-house labor when possible.
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