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Eatontown officials say new municipal building likely cheaper, less disruptive than renovating old hall
Summary
Architects and engineers told the borough that major code, ADA and operational constraints make renovating the existing municipal building costly and disruptive; council members asked for more detail on square footage, soil testing, and the proposed police gym and indoor range.
Mayor Anthony Talerico opened a workshop presentation on Jan. 14 where Parallel Architecture and T&M Associates summarized months of review and interviews of department heads and existing building systems. Architect Anthony Scalise said their schematic-phase work showed bringing the current building up to code and ADA standards would be more expensive and disruptive than replacing it; engineer Eric Nathanson said T&M performed a soil characterization and will file a report with the clerk’s office and that no DEP 'no further action' letters have been issued yet. "25,000 square feet," Scalise said when asked about the current building's size, noting usable space figures differ from gross square footage.
The council pressed for specifics about costs, phasing, and operational impacts. Scalise and Nathanson explained that installing sprinklers, resolving accessibility barriers, and retrofitting mechanical systems while keeping services running would force use of temporary trailers and extended disruption. Councilmember Meir Araman said the council’s charge is to plan for the town's long-term needs and warned that piecemeal expansion could require another project in a few years. "If you expand the existing building, in five years you might have to re-look at expanding again," he said.
Residents voiced concerns during the workshop public comment. Kathy Williams asked where the money would come from; Jim Bastan and Marissa Buczny urged careful consideration of range safety and cost-effectiveness. Councilmember Maria Escalante read a prepared statement denying rumors that her oversight questions were "anti-police," saying her review was motivated by fiscal responsibility and transparency. The mayor and professionals said next steps include providing the soil/ environmental report, refined square-footage and cost estimates, and options for phasing and preserving the library and parking.
The presentation did not include final funding decisions. Officials said additional public information and follow-up meetings will address financing, design details and timelines before any demolition or construction vote.
