Firm tasked to design town hall

Real Estate Weekly, Oct 18, 2000

Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers, Inc. have been awarded the assignment to design a new Town Hall and for the town of Livingston, N.J. After having concluded an intensive analyses of Livingston's facility needs, Jarmel Kizel's recommendation of turning the abandoned West Essex General Hospital building located on Hillside Avenue into anew Town Hall and Community/Senior Center was accepted, by the Township, Council in September.

The new building designed by Jarmel Kizel maximizes the irregular shaped existing site and will include two sections: the municipal office building and a new Community/Senior Center. The plan also accounts for parking for 260 cars. The proposed building will be approximately 50,000 square feet and house offices of all of township officers including Engineers, Health, Welfare and Human Services as well as the Planning, Building, Finance and Secretary departments. The community and service center would include a reception lobby, reading room, craft rooms, recreation room, multipurpose room, kitchen and conference room. Part of the space will also have a television studio for TV-34, the township's local station.

Jarmel Kizel began assessing Livingston's needs of all operating units, township amenities and critical and units such as police and fire departments in the earlier part of this year. With extensive research and in-depth interviews concluded with all key-township personnel, Jarmel Kizel recommended the old hospital building, which is close to 8 acres in size, be acquired from St. Barnabus hospital and serve as the new location for the Town Hall and Community /Senior Center.

"We are very pleased to be moving into the design phase of the new Livingston Town Hall and Community/Senior Center," stated Marvin Jarmel, President.

"After intensely studying the township's facility needs, this plan will help Livingston provide the necessary services to its residents and appropriately plan for the future growth of the community," Jarmel concluded.