On Monday, Oct. 26, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the Essex County Public Works Building at 900 Bloomfield Ave. in Verona, where an upgrade to the facility was recently completed.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. said, “Our Public Works Building looked out of date and was an eyesore. The new, modern design gives the building a fresh look and complements the nearby Verona community center and surrounding business district. We are at the gateway between Verona and the Caldwells, and these improvements make our building stand out. How well our public buildings look is a reflection on the pride we take in our jobs and the high level of respect members of the public can expect to receive.”
“The Board of Freeholders has a great partnership with the County Executive and pleased to be a part of the great things that are happening. Even during these difficult times, we have to keep pushing forward and keep delivering to our residents,” Freeholder President Brendan Gill said.
“Thank you for making such a great investment. It’s such an improvement at the gateway into Verona,” Verona Councilwoman Christine McGrath said.
“I want to thank the County Executive for his continued support and the improvements being made to all County facilities. I look forward to what is next,” Verona Administrator Matt Cavallo said.
“The building is over 50 years old but it has good core. Through this project we were able to transform this into a brand new facility,” Essex County Public Works director and County Engineer Sanjeev Varghese said.
The Essex County Public Works Building was built about 50 years ago and its brick and mortar façade needed to be updated. The modern exterior with floor to ceiling windows provides better insulation for the building. In addition, a new heating and ventilation system, flooring and lighting systems were installed. Adorning the exterior wall along Bloomfield Avenue is a large Essex County Seal. In front of the building are illuminated letters to identify the building. Interior renovations included remaking the initial reception area so customers and visitors to the building could be serviced more efficiently.
Greg Comito Associates from Newark received a $90,000 professional services contract to design the building improvements. APS Contracting Inc. from Paterson was awarded a $2,118,000 publicly bid construction contract. Funding for the upgrades was from the Essex County Capital Budget. Work started in March and was completed in seven months, one month ahead of schedule.