By carolyn o’connell
Staff Writer
LONG BRANCH — More money is needed to renovate the city’s fire headquarters on Union Avenue.
The project, primarily to place a prefabricated addition on the building, has been bid four times over the last two years, and each time all bids came in much higher than the original estimated amount of $225,000.
Kevin J. Hayes, Sr., director of building and development, has asked that the council bond for an additional $55,000 which would allow the current lowest bidder, Amba Construction, Marlboro, to be awarded the contract.
Hayes said the additional money should be added now because the longer the project is delayed, the more likely the price will go up even higher because the cost of construction and materials continues to escalate.
The work to be done in the project includes modifications to the restrooms to make them handicap accessible, the removal of a garage door for a smaller door, and the construction of a 50-by-70-square-foot four-bay prefabricated structure on a concrete slab.
"Partitions will be installed," said Councilman John "Fazz" Zambrano, "to create a community activity room."
Amba Construction is the lowest bidder at $274,820 but has not officially been awarded the project until the bond ordinance is adopted by the council.
The two other bidders for the project were Straight Edge Construction, Manas-quan, for $288,695 and Helios Construc-tion, Ocean, for $326,816.
When the project was conceived and first put out to bid, the city estimated the cost of construction at $225,000, and the council passed a bond ordinance for that amount in February 2001.
Because the building will serve as a community activity room, the debt service for the bonds will be paid through funds from the city’s Community Development Block Grant.
Zambrano said the addition will serve a dual use, as an activity room and a place where emergency vehicles can be stored.
Currently the city has those vehicles scattered at different locations in the city. Zambrano said it would be beneficial to have all of them in a central location.
When the addition is built, the five pieces of equipment, including a rescue truck, a jet ski and a radio truck, will be brought to fire headquarters.
A public hearing is scheduled for June 10.