OCEAN COUNTY – Members of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners took another step toward building a new annex to the Ocean County Justice Complex on Hooper Avenue in Toms River.
During the Board’s last meeting the panel awarded a contract to the lowest qualified bidder, Ernest Bock & Sons in the amount of $78 million. Work on the project could begin in the spring and completion is estimated for 2026. Five bids were received by Ocean County for the project with the highest bidder totaling $97,857,000.
Ocean County Commissioner John P. Kelly said, “our overall goal is to create a building that will function properly. We are building what we need. We are not building too much.”
The annex will be four stories and 125,000 square feet. It includes a single secure entrance and screening location and separated circulation for the public, judges and prisoners.
“This gives us the opportunity to solve one of our biggest problems and that is the movement of people in this facility,” Kelly added. “The new design gives us one single controlled location to move the public in and out of the building. This enhances security and safety for everyone using the facility.”
The public will access the building by using the overhead walkway across Hooper Avenue that is attached to the Ocean County Parking Garage. The walkway will be undergoing extensive renovations as part of the work. The new building is designed to consolidate criminal courtrooms and probation while providing space for more efficient administration and court services.
The project includes eight new courtrooms – two of them larger than the others – and is expected to serve the needs of the county through 2035.
Kelly noted the county’s growth in population stating, “Ocean County government provides services and programs to meet that growth. This justice complex annex will help us meet the growth in our judicial system.” The new building also allows for consolidation of court facilities into fewer buildings ultimately providing a reduction in building leases.
“We have had family courts, probation services, and even a criminal court scattered among buildings in downtown Toms River. This is all resulting in extra cost to the county for rent and security,” Kelly added. “The consolidation is another example of how we will improve security and reduce expenses.”
Deputy Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Gary Quinn extended his appreciation to Commissioner Kelly for shepherding the project to fruition. “This is a very complex project to put together because it addresses many areas of the judicial system which is overseen by the state. Commissioner Kelly worked diligently to get us to this point.”
New Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi abstained from voting on the contract noting he had only joined the board on January 3 and continues to review the project while the other Commissioners have been working on it for a number of years.
The Board of Commissioners approved a $92 million funding ordinance in August 2023 for the project. The project architect is Clarke, Caton, Hintz of Trenton. The plans needed to be approved by the Office of the State Comptroller prior to the project being able to move forward with seeking bids.
“This project has been discussed and planned for quite some time. It will be a welcome upgrade to our court system. I commend Commissioner Kelly and the professional staff for taking their time in planning the annex and paying close attention to the details that will help us provide a much needed and improved facility,” Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Barbara Jo Crea said.
