East Brunswick's municipal ice rink moves closer to reality
EAST BRUNSWICK – The township has taken another step forward with its plan for a new municipal ice rink.
The Township Council approved a resolution at Monday’s meeting authorizing a $58,355 contract to Wisconsin-based B32° Engineering Group for the design of ice-related systems at the arena, which will feature two NHL-sized rinks at the old Wonder Bread site on Tices Lane.
The township received three responses to its request for qualifications and proposals, Township Administrator Joseph Criscuolo said.
"We went for somebody who really specializes in ice rinks," Criscuolo said.
Within the next two months, the township expects to go out to bid for potential builders to construct the rink, as well as the "ice specialties" such as the ice surfaces and refrigeration, he said.
Design plans for the facility were created by DMR Architects. Design of the ice rink systems will be based on the conceptual design produced by MacLaughlin Management.
The Council approved a resolution in December adopting the pre-qualification regulations for the construction of the facility.
Former township attorney Michael Baker explained the state Department of Community Affairs has a process for providing additional qualifications for bidders in specialty type work that would require the bidder not only to be the lowest bidder, but also meets certain qualifications.
In this case, it's the ice-related work in the proposed new arena, meaning the plumbing that goes into the slab, the refrigeration, the cooling tower, the insulation of the equipment that keeps the ice in good condition and in the rink area that keeps the humidity and the temperatures at appropriate levels, Baker said.
"In order to be sure that we get the best contractor for that type of specialty work because it is not work that a general contractor who builds buildings normally undertakes, we've put together with the assistance of our architect as well as our township engineering staff, some pre-qualifications," Baker said.
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Those qualifications are that the bidder before they are permitted to bid must be able to prove that they've done at least three indoor ice rink projects with this type of specialty work on average for the last three years, he said.
At Monday's meeting, the Council also approved a resolution authorizing a change order with DMR Architects from $622,000 to $677,000 for additional architectural design services for the proposed ice rink.
“There was a change order for the architect because there were more things that the state Department of Purchasing required in the documents that we have to pay for,” Criscuolo said.
At its July 24, 2023 meeting, the Township Council approved a $40.3 million bond ordinance to fund the project. The total project cost is approximately $53 million, but that figure is reduced by $10 million for site improvements and the cost of the land, compliments of Garden Homes Development, and another $3 million received from a state grant.
In addition to road and other improvements, Garden Homes, which is constructing Legacy Place, a mixed-use development at the site that includes 520 apartments and townhomes with an affordable housing component, deeded back to the township about 1/3 of the property, about eight acres.
Mayor Brad Cohen has said that the $40 million is "an all-in number" that includes the building and equipment.
The township envisions the arena as a self-liquidating asset like the municipal-owned Crystal Springs Family Waterpark which funds itself.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: East Brunswick NJ Ice Arena moves closer to reality
