Borough Council accepts $137,000 bid
Matthew Armstrong
JAMESBURG — The old Borough Hall on East Railroad Avenue has some new owners.
Three bids were submitted to the council on Wednesday, the highest being $137,000 by Peter and Letizia Nagy of Half Acre Road in Monroe. The bid was accepted by the council by a unanimous vote. Contracts are being drawn up to close the deal.
Mayor Joseph Dipierro said Mr. Nagy was a “spot builder” who doesn’t build big developments, but selects properties to renovate and rent. The Nagys own a three-family home in Jamesburg, which he rents to tenants.
The old Borough Hall is zoned for commercial use only and Mr. Nagy is planning to renovate the building and rent it commercially, according to Mayor Dipierro.
All council members said they were pleased with the bid and said they look forward to having another commercial tax ratable in the town. They had considered not selling the building, but renovations that would be needed to meet building code standards are estimated at $50,000, said Councilman Otto Kostbar.
The borough initially sought sealed bids with a minimum amount of $190,000, the amount at which the building was appraised. After receiving no bids, the borough dropped the minimum bid requirement — and received a bid of $1.10.
The borough began looking for a new location after being sued two years ago by a man with disabilities who said the building was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The borough lost the suit and had to pay the man $1,500, provide a handicapped parking spot and install a doorbell outside the building that, if rung, a borough employee would help them get into the building. This, along with other problems with dilapidated condition the building, led borough ofiicials to relocate.
The new building on Perrineville Road that was opened in December features handicapped-accessible ramps that meets accessibility standards set forth in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
In addition to accepting a bid for the building, the old Borough Hall furniture was sold by the Unique Antique Boutique for $4,719. No decision has been made about how the money from the sale of the previous building will be used.
At prior council meetings, the mayor asked the council to consider a proposal by Councilman Tony LaMantia to use proceeds from the sale to build a youth recreation center on Greenacres Field.
The borough originally planned to use the money to help pay off the new building.
The mayor said details of Mr. LaMantia’s plan need to be researched and asked the council to keep the thought in mind until a full plan can be presented.