Margate makes a case for funding $11 million Public Works building

MARGATE – After years of discussions and requests from two superintendents, the city is moving forward with replacing the deteriorating Public Works building located at Benson and Monmouth avenues.

Replacing the building has been bounced around for years. The request originally came from former Superintendent Frank Ricciotti who retired in December 2023 after 50 years in Margate. In 2023, he was successful getting funding appropriated for a new building in a $6 million bond ordinance, which included $2.75 million for the building and a new street sweeper.

    Architect Bill McLees reviews the floor plan in the proposed Margate Public Works building.
  

Somers Point architect William McLees, who designed several public buildings in Ventnor City, presented a schematic and a floor plan for the $11 million two-story steel and masonry building that will be built at the existing Public Works yard. The 12,700-square-foot L-shaped building will have nine bays on the ground level, and offices, training rooms, male and female locker rooms and a break room on the second level. The design will fit in with the neighborhood.

City engineer Ed Dennis Jr. of Remington & Vernick Engineers said the city investigated various methods of bringing down costs about $500,000, such as reducing the size of the building, eliminating a freight elevator and revising commercial HVAC specifications, which he said would reduce efficiency.

As designed, the building would be considered an “essential” facility with resiliency standards for functionality during emergencies and extreme weather events. There are no other buildings in the city that are considered essential. 

“Because the city has a goal to become more resilient and we don’t have another building in the city that meets these standards, we agreed it would be a prudent course of action to keep it as an essential facility,” Dennis said.

    Schematic of the proposed Margate Public Works building
  

The new building would have flood barriers to protect expensive public works equipment.

Current Public Works Supervisor Pat Power said the new building would reduce $14,000 in flood insurance costs about 70%, and would protect about a million dollars in new equipment sitting outdoors in the yard. Additionally, the placement of the building near Winchester Avenue would free up a chunk of land that can accommodate 20-30 off-street public parking spaces.

“You’re gaining some things too at the same time,” Power said.

Commissioner Maury Blumberg said the cost of the building should be cut from two bond ordinances that were introduced during the meeting to give the public time to digest the idea.

“We’ve been talking about this for 5-6 years…It’s a beautiful design, but the concern I have is we haven’t given the public ample time to gain support for the project and present it to them,” he said. “I would suggest we consider bifurcating these two ordinances, split out the Public Works portion, and give the public an opportunity to see this presentation, understand what we are trying to do and the benefits to the city and Public Works Department, and then move forward with a separate ordinance to continue the project,” he said.

In the meantime, the city could work on finding some cost savings, he said. 

“This is the largest thing we have ever undertaken and it doesn’t give it justice to vote on it in two week,” he said.

Commissioner Cathy Horn suggested holding a special session for the public. 

Blumberg also expressed concern that “80% of our taxpayers are not in town.”

Power said delaying construction would add to the costs.

“I understand we’ve been talking about it for 10 years. Back then, it was $6 million in 2016, now it’s almost $11 million. If we kick it down the road, it will be $15 million,” he said.

Power offered to give anyone who is interested a tour of the building so they can see first-hand the deplorable conditions. 

“There’s no question we need a better facility,” Blumberg said.

Fire Chief Dan Adams, who inspects all city buildings, said the conditions there are “deplorable.”

There is only one bathroom for 30 employees, the break room forces team members to eat in garage bay areas and the heat is not operational in the garage.

Copyright Fideri News Network 2025