TOMS RIVER – The Township Council awarded a contract to an engineering firm to develop a plan in demolishing the Red Carpet Inn.
T&M Associates will assist the township’s division of engineering for an amount not to exceed $48,300.
Township engineer Robert Chankalian said that there are a number of issues that would make the demolition more complicated than just simply knocking down a building.
The hotel is 8 feet from the road. Knocking the building down could damage the road and the bridge over the Toms River, he said. There’s a basement area near the corner of the building. Removing the foundation might collapse the sidewalk. There’s asbestos that has to be abated. The bulkhead is failing.
The plan would also entail whether lanes of Water Street, a county road, and Route 166, a state road, need to be closed.
After a plan is developed, then demolition contractors can go out to bid on it, he said. The contractors would need to know the full details of the plan so they know the full scope of the project.
The timeline for the demolition is unknown, township officials said.
The township recently acquired the hotel and its removal will be a key part of the downtown renovation. It had long been known as a place for drugs and other illegal activity. Earlier this year, the town authorized a $4.8 million bond ordinance. Of this amount, $3.3 million would go to purchase the property, and the rest will go toward remediation.