09/30/2026
BRIELLE POLICE ANNEX & BOROUGH HALL RENOVATION
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
BRIELLE, N.J. - The Borough of Brielle has outlined a revised plan to build a Police Annex while preserving the existing Borough Hall for a separate renovation project. The proposal responds to concerns residents have raised about cost, Borough Hall’s historic character, police operations in the basement, and property taxes.
“The revised plan reflects the work of the Building Committee, our architect, the Police Department, and Borough professionals, as well as the feedback we have received from residents,” said Council President Tim Shaak. “Our responsibility is to provide a safe, accessible, secure, and functional facility while managing the cost responsibly.”
The proposed annex will move police operations out of the Borough Hall basement. It is intended to meet applicable New Jersey Department of Corrections and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements that the current headquarters does not meet. The purpose-built facility would also improve security, prisoner processing, evidence and equipment storage, employee working conditions, and the separation of public and secure areas.
The existing Borough Hall will remain intact. This renovation project will be a separate project, with its own public discussion, review, financing, and authorization; the planning for this will begin once the Police Annex project construction is well underway.
The preliminary estimated cost of the Police Annex project is $10.7 million. The proposed financing consists of a $7.7 million bond and $3 million from the Borough’s capital reserves. The proposed bond is $5.3 million, or approximately 41 percent, less than the $13 million in borrowing authorized under the original Borough Hall bond ordinance introduced earlier this year.
The Governing Body began planning in 2023 for several capital projects, including Borough Hall, and incorporated financing for those projects into the municipal tax rate beginning in 2024. Based on that planning, the Borough expects the current tax rate to support the proposed annex and its associated debt service without an additional property tax increase for this project.
The $10.7 million figure is a planning estimate. The construction cost will be established after final plans are completed and the project is competitively bid. If bids exceed available funding or the Council’s expectations, the Borough will evaluate the project and make necessary changes before awarding a contract.
“The goal is to build a responsible, functional police facility that meets current requirements and provides reasonable capacity for the future without unnecessary space or cost,” Shaak said.
As the proposal advances, the Borough will provide public updates, present design information, refine the scope and estimates, consider authorization of final design work and financing, and publicly bid the project. The Borough will continue to keep residents informed as decisions are made.
