EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — East Brunswick Council approved a resolution Monday authorizing a few changes to the architectural design of the new ice rink.
The resolution was adopted unanimously during Monday’s council meeting.
The modification to the design was suggested after a discussion with a group of residents who were invited by the Township as part of a subcommittee to provide input.
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The modified design includes a dedicated women’s locker room, flex space, additional office space, an elevator and more, according to the resolution.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime type of project and it’s important to get it right,” Business Administrator Joe Criscuolo said.
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Mayor Brad Cohen explained to the community that the subcommittee included residents who either had an interest in hockey, ice skating or figure skating, and the proposed design changes were a “community effort.”
Cohen said the decision to make design modifications was taken at the earliest to preempt any future rise in costs associated with the project.
On April 25, 2022, the Township adopted a resolution authorizing design services from DMR Architects in the amount of $475,000. With the current changes, the amount now stands at $622,000.
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The amount will be paid using the state grant. Last year East Brunswick received $3 million through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to build the ice rink. More: $3 Million In State Funds For East Brunswick’s Ice Rink
Council President Kevin McEvoy said that although the revised amount “does jump off the page,” the bottom line is that work on the ice rink was moving forward.
“This is a progressive way we are going to accommodate the various groups knocking on our door,” McEvoy said.
Councilman James Wendell said that he and Cohen had comprehensive discussions with the architect to “stipulate a much more aggressive timeline” than the architects were originally proposing.
“We should have construction documents in hand by June of this year,” Wendell said.
East Brunswick’s ice rink will be part of recreation utilities and will have multiple uses including summer camp programs.
“It’s clearly something that is necessary,” Cohen said about the design modification. “And if we try to do it later, it would be probably impossible to do. I’m glad everybody is putting in their two cents and doing it right the first time.”
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