Fair Haven Tackling 3 Major Capital Projects, Including Police HQ

FAIR HAVEN, NJ — It took months of architectural planning, community open houses, and scaling down total costs, but residents can now see three major municipal capital projects taking shape in the borough: the construction of the Police Department and the Community Center and renovations to the Department of Public Works.

Councilman Drew LaBarbera explained that scaling back aspects of the projects - while still providing efficient, modern spaces that blend into residential neighborhoods - was a big goal of the governing body.

And word last month that the borough received a $1.25 million federal grant for the new Community Center was more welcome news.

"Things are progressing well," LaBarbera said, adding that the police and DPW projects are on schedule.

And the grant "was super exciting. It helps offset more costs," he said. LaBarbera is the council liaison for the projects.

At the Police Department at 35 Fisk St., the slab was poured and steel trusses have gone up, and work is going on to "envelope" the building in metal, he said.

The contract for the work there and for the Community Center was awarded to the Hall Building Corp. Farmingdale, for $8.285 million, the borough has previously announced. The DPW renovation bid was also awarded to Hall in the amount of $3,020,655, the borough said.

Police are still on the job at the old police department adjacent to the worksite and they are parking at Fisk Chapel. The borough will repave the parking lot at the church as part of the arrangement, LaBarbera said.

At the Community Center, which is at the same address but adjacent to the police, steel trusses are going up, he added.

He said both buildings are being built on a slab - not a basement. That and other measures helped the town in reaching $14 million in "cost avoidance" - about 19 percent over estimates made over the years.

He said he expects work to continue through the end of the year, and that after two to three months in 2025 - about March 2025 - the new Police Headquarters and Community Center should be in action.

For the Department of Public Works site at 1 Allen St., there is a major renovation going on, also by Hall contractors. A tear down of the site was not needed after it was determined the existing building was structurally safe, he said.

LaBarbera said there is a new roof already on the building and more work is to come to remake the entire interior. Work there should be completed by the end of November or December.

The recycling center there is closed at the moment and workers are not there because the area is a construction site. But LaBarbera said the recycling facility will return with enhanced recycling capabilities for residents.

Plus, the area for the DPW activities will be shrunk somewhat, he said. That means there will be more of a buffer for nearby residents to improve their view of the DPW since it is located in a residential neighborhood.

There will be landscaping and a natural wood fence will be erected - no plastic or chain link fencing.

"And these weren't ideas we just made on our own," LaBarbera said. "This is what we heard from our open houses - from resident feedback."

He noted that council members went door-to-door to explain all the changes early on in the project.

And as the Borough Council noted at the groundbreaking event last October, communication with residents is key. You can read more about the project in that past Patch article.

Mayor Josh Halpern said residents can stay apprised of the project by signing up for The Buzz, to learn about the circulation of cars, pedestrians and bicycles.

Halpern urged that residents not hesitate to reach out to any member of the governing body or Borough offices at 732-747-0241.

"Our intention is to mitigate the impact of these projects on our daily lives equally, while ensuring that they are completed in a safe and transparent manner - on time and within budget," Halpern has said.