Authority says Bayonne pantry construction contract awarded; commissioners pressed on site loss and affordable-housing hopes

Commissioners discussed a lost site for a Hunger Free pantry in Bayonne after a property owner leased the space to another party, and asked authority and county staff what happened and whether the selected site could support affordable housing above the pantry in the future.

A county representative said the owner chose to lease the space to someone else, removing the previously anticipated location from consideration. Commissioners pressed staff to connect Hunger Free with local real-estate contacts to find a new site. One commissioner noted the board had already approved funding so the program retains its money, but the pantry must still find an alternate location.

An authority official (speaker 8) described procurement and construction plans: the authority procured and awarded a construction contract with federal funding, issued a notice to proceed and is preparing to obtain permits. The official said the construction contract — not including IT and other elements — was approximately $6.5 million and that the contractor, based in Newark, will work under a project-labor agreement; the project aims for substantial completion by the end of the year.

What happens next: staff said they will follow up with Hunger Free and try to identify alternative space; the authority will proceed with permitting and construction procurement for elements not included in the construction contract.