Brick HS Gym Renovation Gets Delayed; Paving and Door Projects Move Forward

Brick Township High School (File Photo)

A plan to renovate Brick Township High School’s East Gym, which has fallen into disrepair in recent years, is on hold after the Board of Education rejected bids for the renovation project last week.

The board rejected the bids at its July 7 meeting because they “substantially exceeded the cost estimate” for the project. The amount by which the bids exceeded the estimate was not divulged publicly.

The district budgeted $173,000 for the project, which was aimed at replacing the bleaches and improving the gym floor. The floor was not to be fully replaced, rather, plans called for it to be taken up and sanded to even out its level. Certain sections will, however, be replaced.

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A set of dividing doors in the gym, which have not been used in years, according to former Interim Superintendent Richard Caldes, were to be removed. The bleachers, which date back to the 1960s, were to be fully replaced.

Generally, when bids are rejected, the project is reviewed by the board’s Facilities Committee, and some times tweaked, trimmed down and re-bid. In rare occasions, district officials may be authorized to directly negotiate with contractors.

Other projects will go forward this summer, including two paving projects. The first project, a funded through a $193,064 with Johnson Baran Corp., of Forked River, will involve the paving and reconstruction of pedestrian walkways behind Brick Township High School.

A second project, the repaving of the Lake Riviera Middle School parking lot, will be undertaken by Fiore Paving, of Oceanport, for $378,103.

Finally, several schools in the district will receive new doors. Most prominently, doors that do not meet current fire codes at the Brick Memorial High School auditorium will be replaced. The same contract, which was awarded to ACP Contracting, of Jackson, for $76,400, includes the replacement of doors for the Herbertsville Elementary School all purpose room and Osbornville Elementary School gym.