Condemned Ocean City firehouse to be demolished and replaced
OCEAN CITY — The city has allotted another $450,000 toward a new 29th Street firehouse that could be open by next summer.
At its meeting Thursday, City Council approved the additional money for building a new $2.1 million two-story facility.
Frank Donato, the city’s director of finance, said he hopes to have the 29th Street firehouse, which was condemned in April, demolished by Labor Day. Construction is to begin in September, and he said the city hopes to open the firehouse “by the beginning of next summer.”
In the meantime, the fire company will be temporarily moved to Ocean City Municipal Airport. A trailer that was set up near the condemned firehouse will be moved to the airport along with......Continue Reading
a shelter for firetrucks.
The firehouse took on two feet of water during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Problems were exacerbated by subsequent storms.
The firefighters were displaced to the trailer, set up next to the firehouse, while the equipment remained in the firehouse. John Murphy, 49, president of Ocean City Firefighters IAFF Local 4032, filed a formal complaint last year alleging the trailer was infested with mold and rodents.
This is the last of the city’s Sandy-damaged structures to be repaired.
Donato told council at its Aug. 11 meeting that the $450,000 now allocated to the new firehouse was originally bonded for a project to combine the two parking lots at Eighth Street and Moorlyn Terrace.
“The city has since had second thoughts on that project,” he said.
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At that meeting, council awarded a contract for the construction of the two-story firehouse to Straga Brothers Inc. of Glassboro for $2.1 million.
This is $500,000 more than the estimated cost of $1.6 million put forward previously.
“This funding would help close the gap on the shortfall that we had to be able to award that contract,” Donato said.
The remaining funds will come from money the city raised after Hurricane Sandy for repairs, as well as a Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement resulting from storm.
Ocean City is negotiating with FEMA to come up with a reimbursement amount, Donato said Friday.
