MATAWAN The Borough Council approved a resolution to adopt pre-qualification regulations for the rehabilitation of Major John Burrowes Mansion.
The historic Burrowes Mansion was first constructed in 1723. Repairs have been made to the property as funding permits, but typically the Borough of Matawan does not have the resources needed to make repairs and advance restoration in a holistic way that addresses the long-term needs of the property, according to information provided by the borough.
Before approving the resolution, the council will hold a public hearing to discuss the project, on Sept. 19 during its monthly meeting at the Matawan Municipal Community Center.
The borough has received a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust in the amount of $149,358 toward the rehabilitation of the Major John Burrowes Mansion, according to the council agenda.
Since the grant is a matching grant the borough will pay the remaining balance for the project, according to Mayor Joseph Altomonte.
“The reason for this resolution is the historic trust gave [the borough] a grant to refurbish Burrowes Mansion. They require that we publish a list of rules for bidders, so we pre-qualify the bidders before we ask for bids, so they understand what the requirements of a bidder is. They have to have extensive experience with historic buildings, they have to extensive experience with that type of material…so we can pre-determine who is going to bid on the project,” Borough Administrator Louis Ferrara said.
Project Architect Eric Holterman of HMR Architects has prepared the pre-qualification regulations and bidder’s qualification statement, according to the council agenda.
The estimated total construction cost for the first phase of the project is roughly $300,000, according to information provided by the borough.
Requiring exterior and interior repairs, the mansion required improvements include: restore all exterior siding and woodwork; remove exterior storm windows and restore all windows; provide new wood shutters; restore exterior doors and provide new; new cedar shake roofing at select locations; new standing seam metal roofing at rear shed roof; new and restored cedar shake siding; structural framing repairs at room 203 floor; structural framing repairs at room 104 floor; prep and paint entire exterior; minor masonry restoration; tent and fumigate building for powder post beetle treatment; new slab, drainage, footings and steel columns at basement; work requires monitoring by archaeologist during excavation; new fixed interior storm window panels throughout; New Jersey Historic Trust project sign and permanent maker, according to the council agenda.
The borough clerk will post the bid for this project soon and the bidders will have 30 days to apply, according to Altomonte.
In other news, the council also approved a resolution to authorize T&M Associates to provide professional services in connection with the implementation of the borough’s Transit Station Redevelopment Plan Amendment.
According to the council agenda, the scope of services for this portion of the project is for preparation of the Request for Proposal (RFP).
T&M Associates services will include: coordination with the borough, its legal counsel and professionals to prepare a Request for Qualifications and RFP for a redeveloper for the redevelopment area; assistance in the review of response to the borough’s RFP; preparation of any subsequent redeveloper agreement; coordination with the borough and New Jersey Transit regarding the redevelopment of the train station site and related redevelopment planning services, according to the council agenda.
The awarded contract for T&M Associates’ professional services is in an amount not to exceed $5,000, according to the council agenda.
For more information visit www.matawanborough.com/matawan/.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
