SEA ISLE CITY – The City Council has taken several steps toward making the long-awaited community center a reality.

At its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 13, the council adopted a bond ordinance containing $2.2 million in additional funding for the center’s construction. In 2022 the city approved a bond ordinance for $20 million for the project. Construction of the center is expected to cost $21.1 million.

The council also approved two oversight contract awards related to the center.

The engineering firm of DeBlasio & Associates was awarded a $285,000 contract to provide construction management for the project.

A separate contract for “construction administration by an architect” was awarded to Henry Hengchua Architect in the amount of $370,495.

Mayor Leonard Desiderio said the city plans to award the construction project at the Feb. 27 council meeting to Ernest Bock & Sons of Philadelphia. Desiderio added that Bock & Sons had submitted the lowest responsible bid of the five companies that sought the contract.

Calling the community center work “a project that we all own and can be proud of,” the mayor said he expected construction to start in March.

Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.