Monmouth County Funds Fort Hancock Repairs

HIGHLANDS, NJ — Monmouth County has a new plan in place to fix some of the houses at Fort Hancock that were damaged in Superstorm Sandy. This renovation project was allotted close to $12 million from the county’s capital budget.

Fort Hancock is located on Sandy Hook, and it played a major role in defending the Atlantic Coast and the entrance to the New York Harbor dating back to 1764, when the Sandy Hook Lighthouse was built.

Two of the buildings along historic "Officers' Row" at Sandy Hook will be fixed with county tax dollars. That's Officers' Row pictured above.

This project will start with the renovation of two buildings on the site, 23 and 56. When the work is done, Building 23 will be used to house more classrooms for the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST), part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District.

Building 56 will be a storage facility housing used by the Navy to store more than $1 million worth of Navy uniforms and equipment.

The anticipated opening date for both buildings is set for September 2021.

The New Jersey Sierra Club applauded the news, but said the federal government — and not the county — should be pitching in for the bulk of the cost.

“It’s good that Monmouth County is funding renovations to the park, but the federal government needs to step up and do more to protect Fort Hancock. They should be funding repairs for the site and for these buildings that belong to all of us," said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.. "They have allowed them to be damaged, abandoned, ruined and almost privatized. Privatizing the site was turned down by the public, but many of its building are in dire condition. It’s time the federal government do their part to protect this historical site."

"Many of New Jersey’s historical sites and buildings are deteriorating, which is why it is important that Monmouth County is taking steps to maintain its history," he added.