Bayonne approves $107,687 grant‑funded brownfield assessment for Route 440 area

The Bayonne City Council authorized a professional services contract with Ontaras Inc., not to exceed $107,687, to perform a preliminary assessment and site investigation of city‑owned property within the Route 440/Constable Hook brownfield development area.

Business Administrator Andrew Kossis told the council the contract is grant‑funded through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF). He noted that the Brownfield Development Area designation can open the city to as much as $5 million per year in DEP grants for remediation and that the assessment will determine contamination levels and remediation options, including whether the site needs residential‑grade cleanup or could be suitable for less intensive uses.

Kossis described the work as the “first step” to understand what’s in the property and what it would take to prepare the site for development or open space. The council approved the measure on a roll call vote; the transcript records the administration’s emphasis that this contract uses grant funding and aims to advance city redevelopment options while protecting public health.