BRADLEY BEACH — Mayor Larry Fox and Borough Engineer Ben Matlack hosted a town hall to discuss potential improvement outcomes for the vacant pump house, located at 54 Ocean Avenue North.
According to Mayor Fox, the inside of the building is “very rough” and the borough is looking to use a $50,000 planning grant as a kick-starter to rehabilitate the building “that hasn’t been used for 25 years” for public use. The town hall provided further insight into the specifics of the grant and invited residents to offer suggestions for construction improvements to the vacant pump house.
Earlier this year, the Borough of Bradley Beach was awarded a Department of Community Affairs Asset Activation Planning Grant worth $50,000. The funds are meant to jump start improvement of distressed public assets, like the Ocean Avenue pump house, to the benefit of the community, Matlack said.
The vacant, 900-square-foot building is located between the children’s playground and the mini-golf course on the North end of the promenade, where in the summer an open green space is occupied by a portable bathroom trailer. On a busy north end of town, the borough is focused on implementing year-’round bathrooms at 54 Ocean Ave North property.
While Matlack stressed that nothing has been designed for the vacant pump house, Mayor Fox said “There is no plan yet, except that we know that we don’t want the portable bathrooms there anymore sticking out of the building and we’re going to incorporate bathrooms.”
In addition to restrooms, the borough is exploring additional alternative services for the space and heard ideas from residents, including proposals for a historical society exhibit and a concession stand.
Mayor Fox said, “If I’m down there if I’m a grandparent with my grandkids at the playground next store and I see there’s an exhibit about the police and fire history of Bradley Beach, am I going to walk in that building? Yes, I’m going to walk in that building. I think it’s an enhancement.”
If the historical society were to be implemented at the vacant pump station property, it would serve as an exhibit space for historical society artifacts and not the entire museum, Mayor Fox said.
Bradley Beach Historical Society President Paul Neshamkin said that, while conscious of the proximity to the ocean, the society could make use of the small space through temporary exhibits of reproduced images.
The funds secured by Asset Activation Planning Grant are specifically to be used for pre-development planning, conceptual design and feasibility studies surrounding the current structure. Matlack said the grant would additionally cover meetings with regulating agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) during the preliminary design process.
The town hall conducted by Mayor Fox and Matlack was an information session. However, before any work is designed or approved, the grant requires a public hearing to ask for input from Bradley Beach residents, which would most likely be held at a future council meeting. Then, CME Associates will create a series of conceptual designs and architectural layouts of the revitalization of the building based on the input provided, Matlack said.
According to Matlack, while the grant covers the cost of the pre-planning of the project, if the borough decides to move forward with the proposed project, additional construction funding can be sought in the future.
A resolution is scheduled to be on the agenda for the borough council’s Oct. 23 meeting, which occurs after the production of the weekly publication.
If passed, would authorize an award for proposal for architectural and engineering services with CME associates for the development of the existing building located at 54 Ocean Avenue. The meeting occurs after this paper goes to press.
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