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The Authority Newsletter - October 2025

What's New at The Authority?


Upper Deerfield BOE Groundbreaking

On Monday,  September 15, the Upper Deerfield Board of Education, Upper Deerfield Township, Cumberland County, The Authority, and the community celebrated the groundbreaking of the construction operations for the new 12-classroom Pre-K expansion onto the existing Charles F. Seabrook School. Program speakers included Honorary Dave Bailey of the Third Legislative District,  Kevin Smaniotto of Cumberland County, Deputy Mayor James Crilley of Upper Deerfield, Superintendent Dr. Peter Koza of Upper Deerfield Board of Education, and Jerry Velazquez, President/CEO of The Authority. The project continues to progress with footings, foundations, and block wall installation. Over 80 CY of concrete were poured in less than a week, getting the footings and foundations in, and ready for the masons to begin constructing walls.


Linden Street Homes Groundbreaking

On September 26, residents, partners, and officials gathered on Linden Street in Salem to celebrate the groundbreaking of six new homes. These homes will be available for homeownership to families earning between $40,000 and $80,000. Prospective buyers apply through a lottery system that will remain open through the end of October. To date, over 500 applications have been received. The Authority has partnered with Restrepo and Associates to facilitate the process. Construction is already underway and foundations have been poured. This is the largest new residential construction project in Salem in decades and the first phase of housing revitalization for the neighborhood. Additional homes are planned through the Landbank. 


Bridgeton BOE HVAC Upgrades Complete

After three years of construction, the Broad Street School HVAC Upgrades project reached substantial completion on August 27, 2025. The general contractor, Thermal Piping, did a great job coordinating to get 2/3 of the entire project completed throughout Summer 2025. With the help of The Authority, this project required extensive coordination between the school district staff and Thermal Piping to ensure enough time for the district to move furniture back into the completed areas and clean, prior to the start of the 2025-2026 school year. This summer, more than 60 workers were on-site working to make certain  the project was completed on time. The entire building has a new state of the art heating and air conditioning system, as well as new ceilings, lighting, and fire alarm throughout the entire three-story, 100+ year-old building. 


Cape May Police Department

The Authority continues to improve the tomorrow of our neighboring counties. Ogren Construction was the lowest bidder at $8.6 million for the Cape May Police Department. The resolution to award the contract was approved at the September 16 City Council Meeting. Construction of the Cape May City Police Department is expected to begin in mid-October. 


Bridgeton Fire Station

The new Bridgeton Fire Station continues to progress, according to plan. Historic restoration of the building is progressing. Foundations for the apparatus bay addition are underway. The Authority continues to work closely with the City Administration and Fire Chief. The project is on schedule for completion in Summer 2026. 


NJ State Police Barracks

The new Port Norris Barracks is nearing substantial completion, which is targeted for October 15, 2025. Interior casework is being installed, the IT Closet is being finished, and equipment startups have been completed. The site contractor is installing curbs, sidewalks, flag poles, and is preparing the site for paving. The Authority has coordinated daily with NJSP personnel in fine tuning the spaces. They have begun preparing the site for NJSP purchased equipment to be installed, including the gun lockers, holding cells, locker room lockers, and furniture. The project is currently 90 percent complete, and should receive a TCO on or before October 15.


Click the file below to read more about the latest news, projects, and events at The Authority.


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