Grant May Fund Rec Center Concession Building Construction

The Manalapan Township Committee has applied for a Monmouth County Municipal Open Space Grant for the construction of a concession building with bathrooms at the Manalapan Recreation Center. The committee unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the township’s participation in the program for 2013 grant funding at their July 10 meeting. 

Manalapan Township Engineer Greg Valesi said the project is estimated to cost $125,000. A concession stand with bathrooms has always been phased as a part of the Recreation Center, according to Valesi, so the Committee decided to apply for a Municipal Open Space Grant to fund the project. 

If the county grant does not fully fund the project, the Township would have to fund the rest of it on their own, or come up with the money in a different manner if they accept the grant. The Township can also choose to reject the grant if they feel it is too low and do not want to fund the full project, Valesi explained. 

During the public hearing on this resolution, Manalapan resident Deborah Smarth asked the Committee to make a commitment to not go forward with the project if the grant offered by the county is too low. 

“We may have money available to us that we could use, so I wouldn’t make that commitment just yet,” Mayor Susan Cohen responded, and all other committee members concurred. The resolution to apply for the grant was unanimously approved by the Township Committee. 

Manalapan Township Administrator Tara Lovrich explained that the township would go out for bid for the concession and whichever business comes back with a bid offering the highest percentage of sales to the township will be awarded the bid.