Panel formed to study Middlesex Sheriff’s Office building needs

by Tom Chillemi –

Middlesex County Sheriff David Bushey and his staff have been operating from a 1,200-square-foot building for years. “It’s way outdated,” he said this week.

For example the MCSO needs a secure area to hold arrested persons while they are processed. It also needs a “records” room where police body camera video can be reviewed on a daily basis and processed for storage.

A brand new building would cost $7-$10 million, he estimates.

However, there is a vacant building with 5,000 square feet at Cooks Corner that could be converted for use by the MCSO. Renovating the former Puller Center is estimated at $1.4 million.

Repairs needed

The CIP notes the last tenant vacated the Puller Center building in May 2021 and cited “structural complaints that need to be updated and repaired, including flooring in bathrooms, water leaks detected in walls, bad drainage from parking lot into building, unsecured doors, and parking lot repairs.” These immediate “urgent” repairs are estimated at $180,000.

Planning tool

The CIP is strictly advisory states the plan’s introduction. Being listed on the CIP does not guarantee funding. The CIP is intended for use as a capital facilities planning document, and is not a request for funding allocations for a county capital budget.

Sewer

Building sewer collection systems remains as the top priority. The county will pay for the collection systems and recently was approved for a low interest loan of $2.6 million for a system in Topping.

Middlesex High School

Another big item on the CIP is renovations at Middlesex High School, estimated at $11 million.