The Redevelopment Agency last month awarded a contract for the purchase and installation of an HVAC cooling unit to address issues of overheating elevators at the Rahway Public Library building.

Commissioners approved Resolution 08-15 at their Feb. 4 meeting, accepting the lowest bid of $4,740 from Meyer & Depew of Kenilworth. The bid was the lowest by far, with the other two bids coming in at $12,944 from Tustin Mechanical and $12,005 from Carrier Commercial Service.

Given that two of the bids were so much higher, Commissioner Paul Sefranka asked for assurances that there wouldn’t be issues in the future. Redevelopment Director Leonard Bier said he had the same reaction and checked the specifications but couldn’t explain the spread in bids. He assured commissioners that due diligence was done and there were no errors in the quote.

Last summer, the Redevelopment Agency was told that increased usage at the building’s elevators, due to more tenants, created a ventilation issue that required shutting down overheated elevators periodically. At that time, installation of a cooling system was estimated at $12,000.

The agency  oversees a portion of the Rahway River Condominium Association, the building in which the public library is located. Office space on the upper floors is leased.