BARNEGAT On June 12, local officials witnessed the first bite of an excavator’s claw into Barnegat’s ancient municipal building, marking the beginning of demolition as well as the end of a chapter in the township’s history.
The brown-paneled building has a history that precedes Barnegat’s very name, even if its demolition is a part of the second phase of the city’s new municipal complex project.
The facility started out as a sales and information center for a housing development called The Timbers in 1973, long before it became the home of township officials, police officers, and clerks. The township was still known as Union Township at the time, which was formally changed to Barnegat on January 1, 1977.
Property records show that the township paid $134,500 to DCA of New Jersey Inc. for the site in May 1978. The government and police department headquarters were located at 700 West Bay Avenue, which is now the location of VFW Post 10092.
The building’s transformation from a real estate center to a municipal residence was probably more a result of convenience than design, according to former mayor John Novak, who was instrumental in advancing the new complex.
According to Novak, the developer concluded that giving the sales office to the township would be less expensive than carting it away. And so they did just that.
The Timbers, Section Eleven was a property that had previously been transferred from the Mayer Corporation in 1975. In 1969, developer Henry D. Mayer, who had a long history of constructing homes in Southern Ocean County, partnered with the Development Corporation of America. Advertisements for The Timbers by early 1974 advertised homes as low as $24,990, financed at 7.41 percent, and drew people to the building that would later become town hall.
That piece of property evolved into more than just a location. By June 1978, Barnegat held its second Founders Day celebration in the field adjacent to the recently given building.
New Structure, New Phase
On January 22, 2025, Barnegat finally unveiled its brand-new municipal facility to the public after several delays, false starts, and contractor problems. The eagerly anticipated skyscraper was supposed to open in the middle of 2022, but contractor disagreements caused it to go behind schedule by about two and a half years. After Frankoski Construction Company won the initial $12.96 million contract, the township was compelled to file a lawsuit against them.
By the end of 2023, Vertex took over project management, continuing to oversee completion while maintaining Frankoski as the contractor and requiring them to stick to their initial bid. The cost was below budget, according to Township Administrator Martin Lisella, despite a few required modification orders.
“We would be looking at $18 to $20 million if we had to rebid today,” Lisella stated.
What Happens Next
Under the supervision of the Command Company, the site contractor, Winzinger Company is in charge of demolishing the ancient town hall. It should take about three weeks to complete the work.
According to Lisella, there was a slight delay following permissions that required turning off the electricity. You would believe that it was as simple as turning on a switch. It isn’t.
The property will be transformed into a landscaped municipal hub centered around the new town hall after the structure is cleared. Accessible parking, pedestrian walkways, and planted islands will all be features of the renovated parking lot. To preserve the flora, plans also include irrigation systems, ornamental masonry, and pathways bordered by trees.
The 9/11 monument, which was located next to the former building, will continue to stand as a somber and enduring memorial.
The reinforced concrete pipes that have already been staged close to the site will be used to install subterranean stormwater systems during the following phase of development. Soil stabilization, sprinklers, curbs, sidewalks, and asphalt will come next.
The efforts of individuals who contributed to the project’s completion were commended by Deputy Mayor Al Bille.
“Donna Manno deserves a lot of credit,” Bille stated. She, together with John Novak and Marty (Lisella), played a crucial role in advancing this.
In order to maintain design coherence, Novak also stated that plans are underway to renovate the Recreation Center’s exterior to reflect the new structure’s contemporary style.
Preserving remnants of the past
Manno took the opportunity to save some of the building’s interior memories, such as signs and old photos, before the wrecking crews started. But then Novak thought of another thing he wanted to save: a big map of Barnegat Township that was hanging in the former meeting room and courthouse.
According to Novak, the map was particularly important in fostering a sense of community during a significant fire in 2007.
According to Novak, Mayor Al (Cirulli) was in command at the time. The winds were strong and the fire was burning. On a Sunday afternoon, all of the town’s priests and pastors gathered for a prayer meeting. We dedicated Barnegat as God’s town and put our hands on that map.
According to his account, the fire was forced back over the already burned terrain when the winds changed later that evening and it started to rain.
“I firmly believe that Barnegat was saved by prayer,” Novak stated.
Barnegat is now turning the page to a new period that is grounded in history but constructed for the future as the dust rises and the remaining walls of the old municipal building are demolished.
