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Council authorizes design work and cooperation with county for demolition of long‑vacant Stocken building
Summary
After extended code enforcement and failed owner attempts to rehab the Stocken building, council authorized a cooperation agreement with the county redevelopment authority and directed the borough engineer to prepare demolition bid specifications; officials said the owner offered to transfer the property to municipal or redevelopment authority control.
Morrisville — The borough solicitor told council the long‑vacant Stocken building has been the subject of sustained code enforcement and litigation and that the property owner recently offered to transfer the site to municipal or redevelopment authority control to allow safe demolition and future reuse. Council authorized entering into a cooperation agreement with the county redevelopment authority and asked Gilmore Associates to prepare demolition bid documents.
Why it matters: The Stocken building has accumulated code violations and structural reports indicating the cost to rehabilitate would be prohibitive. Solicitor Scott Halbert said allowing a municipal entity to take control will let the borough address public‑safety risks posed by the structure and move the property toward productive reuse.
Actions taken: By unanimous vote (8–0), council approved a cooperation agreement, subject to solicitor review, with the Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County and directed borough engineers to design demolition bid specifications. Council members said they will attempt to salvage historically significant features where feasible and that demolition procurement will follow borough purchasing rules.
Details: Halbert summarized the owner’s prior structural report and the borough’s months of enforcement actions, noting daily citations and guilty verdicts before the local magistrate. He said that the redevelopment authority and county indicated willingness to accept responsibility so the borough could secure the site and bid demolition work. Gilmore Associates was authorized to prepare specifications and bid documents for public advertisement.
Next steps: The borough solicitor will circulate the proposed cooperation agreement to council for review; engineers will prepare bid documents and a procurement timeline. Any demolition contract award will return to council for final approval.
Representative quote: “They’re willing to finally put it in the hands of municipal entities who can get control and have a plan to (a) get the site safe and (b) put it back to productive use in the borough,” Solicitor Scott Halbert said.
