HISTORY: Tuckerton’s police headquarters had previously been the home of the municipal sewage plant. When Hurricane Sandy hit, a sewage tank underneath was damaged and flooded the first floor and basement, making the building unusable. In all, 30 buildings in town were destroyed and 300 were damaged. FEMA helped set up temporary trailers within three weeks so local emergency services could continue to function.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The closed Coastal Learning Center was converted into a new municipal building using mainly volunteer labor. The borough bought the building in November 2013. The police department moved in in April 2014. The construction office, municipal offices (the administrator, clerk, finance department, and water and sewage department), Office of Emergency Management and the tax assessor’s office followed. The borough courthouse and related offices will move from Borough Hall once a grant for additional construction is approved. The lot at the former police headquarters is being used to store Public Works vehicles and equipment.
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE: Federal Interagency Regional Coordination worked with borough officials to find a suitable new home for the police department after the old building flooded. Both taking over an existing building and new construction were considered before purchasing the Coastal Learning Center. FIRC is also helping to plan a new downtown streetscape. The borough is deciding what to do with Borough Hall after the courthouse moves out. It is also trying to find funding to tear down the old headquarters building.
A video of the Tuckerton police headquarters project is available at //www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/videos/100687