Council Awards Bid for Boonton Avenue Firehouse

The awarded a bid to Liam Design/Build for construction of a new Boonton Avenue firehouse during a special meeting Wednesday. 

The council went out to bid in August and received 13 bids with the lowest being from Liam for $1,091,875. While discussion about whether to reject the bids (the council originally bonded only $900,000 for the project) continued over the last two months, Councilman Dan O'Dougherty said building a new firehouse is 12 years in the making.

According to Chief Jim Bosch, the can barely fit two engines in its bays. In order to get into the driver's seat of the right bay, the door of the garage must be open.

Additionally, the fire chief said that more space is needed for firefighter training and that the newly designed building includes a multi-purpose room that would not only provide that, but serve as a shelter for firefighters who need to stay at the firehouse overnight during an emergency. The construction project entails knocking down the existing firehouse and building a new one several feet away.

The council was as an $80,000 Morris County grant for the demolition and engineering of the project was expected to expire if the borough did not begin the project by the end of September. However O'Dougherty said Wednesday the council has received a verbal agreement that the grant would be extended.

At , O'Dougherty asked that the council table awarding the bid until the borough engineer and architect have the opportunity to get together with a committee to examine whether building the entire proposed structure, which includes a third bay and a top-floor mezzanine, would be less costly if the building were made as a different type of steel structure. After Monday's meeting, O'Dougherty said they did get together and that while the steel structure could save the borough about $100,000, the cost to go out to bid again, this time on a steel building, as well as the block work needed to raise the steel building would end up costing more than the $100,000 saved. 

Since the lowest bid is still more than the $900,000 the council bonded for, the bond will have to be amended. 

Still, O'Dougherty said he voted in favor of awarding the bid to Liam "because of the fact that it has to be done."

O'Dougherty said he hopes that even though the bid has been awarded, the borough engineer can look for ways the borough can save money on the project.

"Anything that can be done for the borough would be appreciated. I know that we have some difficult years ahead of us," he said.

Mayor Bob Collins praised the fire company for being patient while the council explored options that best suited the fire company, borough and taxpayers.

"The taxpayers, I think, were served well by the process," he said. "It's been long and it's been arduous."

After the meeting, Bosch, speaking on behalf of the fire company, said he was "thrilled" with the council's decision.

"We're very thankful for all the council's efforts," he said.