BELMAR — The Belmar Housing Authority plans to submit proposals to the Housing and Urban Development [HUD] to fund two major repair projects for the senior building at 710 8th Ave.
The first project will be the repair of the building’s brick façade and the other is for the modernization of the building’s elevator.
According to Belmar Housing Authority Executive Director Paul DeSantis, the first phase of repair will cover the modernization of the elevator doors, which includes the door assembly and sensors. He noted that the modernization is in anticipation of the eventual decline of the old elevator given the increasing difficulty in finding “parts” for the dated elevator, in case it breaks down.
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“I have to say the elevator works fine. It rarely breaks down, but in rare occasions that it does, it becomes a time factor. The parts are getting harder and harder to locate,” said Mr. DeSantis.
The second phase is the repair of the brick façade, which he said has suffered from rain water and ice, and that the deterioration has left it brittle, posing danger to the residents.
“Basically, what has happened over the years, water has seeped in behind the brick wall between [the] brick wall and the exterior wall of the building, and it’s close to deterioration. Whenever things contract and expand based on [the] cold, if water gets in there, freezing, it pushes [inside] and [then] water has to expand. That’s another major project,” said Mr. DeSantis.
The timeline for the project will depend on the availability of funding coming from HUD, specifically from grants slated for projects involving major construction or those that require costly replacements like the elevator upgrade.
“Any contracts over $44,000, that’s for bid…[timeline] is based on finances. That will drive the projects,” said Mr. DeSantis.
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