Longport Happy Face water tower.
LONGPORT – The Board of Commissioners Thursday, Sept. 28 held a brief special meeting to reject bids received for the installation of new playground equipment at the beachfront park at 33rd Avenue.
The borough has already purchased and received delivery of the playground equipment, but the bids received for installation came in higher than funding available.
Two bids were received from construction contractors at $206,000 and $208,000.
The playground replacement project was funded through a 2022 bond ordinance appropriating $3.3 million for public projects. The borough has expended $141,000 for the equipment and will spend an additional $114,000 to resurface the base of the playground to offer ample protection for tiny tots.
The borough will rebid the installation project and bids are due on Oct. 13.
The borough was hoping to get the playground installed last fall, but supply chain issues delayed delivery of the equipment. Efforts were then made to get it installed by October so children would have time to play before the cold weather sets in.
The Katz Foundation of Cherry Hill, founded by deceased businessman and philantropist Lewis B. Katz who summered in Longport, has provided an additional $25,000 to install a 20- by 25- foot shade station at the playground to protect parents and grandparents from the sun while their children play.
The foundation provided $100,000 in 2008 to build the playground dedicated to the children of Longport, which covered most of the cost to install the old playset.
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