WILDWOOD CREST – A contract was awarded March 8 to Straga Brothers Inc., of Glassboro, for the renovation of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol headquarters.
The planned $2 million renovation was described as “no fluff” renovation by Commissioner Joseph Schiff, the borough’s director of public safety.
“It doesn’t even have an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system – no heating or cooling,” he said.
The borough accepted Straga’s bid of $2.054 million after rejecting a $1.947 million bid at the end of January. At the time, Straga was the only bidder. The only other bid, which came from Capri Construction, of Vineland, was $43,000 higher.
As previously reported in the Herald in October 2022, the borough received the green light from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to proceed with the project.
The renovation project includes upgrades to the building facade, windows and doors, and the construction of an attic loft with a pitched roof to replace a leaking flat roof. The last change will increase the height of the building by 15 feet.
The approval also allows for the reconstruction of a one-story, 230-square-foot addition that was originally built between 1991 and 1995. The DEP’s letter indicated the borough did not need a Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) permit to reconstruct the addition for several reasons, including that it was not encroaching on the high-water mark, did not require extra parking, was not a substantial improvement and was not increasing the footprint of the building.
An Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible entry ramp on the west side of the building was also part of the proposed improvements. The renovation will create more locker room space for male and female lifeguards.
Schiff said there will be a meeting in about a week, which will include the engineers and the construction company, and he expects work to begin in about three weeks.
The project won’t be completed until about November, which means accommodations will have to be made for the Beach Patrol this summer.
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