CREST HAVEN – The Board of County Commissioners have given their nod to revised plans for new justice complex.
Jerry Blackman, of OSK Design Partners, presented slides showing the plans on Tuesday, Dec. 17, that included doing away with an initially proposed new structure for the Cape May County Police Academy barracks and instead remodeling space in the existing metal structure that houses the Prosecutor’s Office.
“We have redesigned it for the $24 million (authorized),” Blackman said.
The project was previously put out to bid and the county received five proposals, all exceeding the bid threshold of $24 million by at least $5 million.
Blackman said the “warehouse,” as he called it, would continue to house Facilities & Services, and will be gaining space. The Prosecutor’s Office will move across the street to a new building a little smaller than originally proposed. The Prosecutor’s Office space in the old building will be reconfigured and remodeled to house approximately 100 police cadets.
The new building, at two stories the same height as first proposed, will be constructed at an elevation of 15 feet and is not in a flood zone, Blackman said.
“We feel the Prosecutor’s Office will benefit from a more efficient workspace,” he added.
In response to a question from Commissioner Will Morey, Blackman said the project would be phased. He said the new Prosecutor’s Office building would be constructed first, and the offices moved over to the new building. After that, the old office building space would be remodeled as a two-story barracks. Once completed, the existing barracks would be demolished.
County Administrator Kevin Lare asked the commissioners if there was a consensus to proceed with the revised plans, to which all the commissioners agreed.
In October, Morey questioned whether a scaled-down justice complex would meet the county’s needs. Lare responded that he was confident that, for $24 million, the complex would be adequate.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600 x-128.
