The three-story train station on Railroad Place was built in 1876
Nine pre-qualified contractors are being recommended by Mills + Schnoering Architects for the bidding process to restore the Hopewell Borough Railroad Station.
The Princeton firm received about 13 to 14 contractor applications for the pre-qualified bidder list to do work on the exterior restoration of the railroad station located at 2 Railroad Place.
“This is the project that is being partially funded by New Jersey Historic Trust [NJHT],” said Jennifer Arnoldi, architect at Mills + Schnoering Architects, the firm in charge of the station’s restoration project.
“We reviewed the applicants resumes, past projects, and all their references. Now we have a list of nine contractors that we recommend for your approval to bid the project.”
The firm is finalizing details on bid specifications for the project. Arnoldi said they are looking to open up the bids in early October and approve a bid by December.
When the bids come in, they will be evaluated and then a determination will be made on whether to ask the Historic Trust for more [funding], according to Arnoldi.
“Based on this pre-qualified list we will then go through a local public contract process like we normally do and get a recommendation,” Councilman Ryan Kennedy said. “Like any contract we would award it and we would award from this list.”
The three-story train station on Railroad Place was built in 1876 and is along the former Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad.
Some of the work expected for the train station include roof replacement and repairs, gutters, woodworking, carpentry, painting and brick repainting.
The borough received close to $250,000 from the NJHT for Level II Capital Preservation Grants.
The Historic Trust was created by state law in 1967 to preserve New Jersey’s historic resources across the state.
According to its mission, the trust is to advance historic preservation in the state through education, stewardship and financial investment programs.
The borough matched the historic trust funds with $250,000 of its own funds. Out of the $250,000, $237,000 is coming from bonds for the project.
Previously, a 1996 grant from the trust helped fund the restoration of the station’s exterior, including such details as decorative cresting and balconies, restoration and rehabilitation of the interior, and accessibility improvements.