Barnegat home restoration now expected to cost $7 million after latest funding request
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. — The cost to restore the historic Mary Etta Cox House in Barnegat has surged again, with Ocean County commissioners now requesting an additional $2 million, pushing the total project budget to approximately $7 million.
This funding request was allegedly made by Commissioner Virginia Haines, the curator of the project, which serves as a prime example of government inefficiency when it comes to construction projects.
The latest funding request marks a significant increase from prior estimates, making the 19th-century structure one of the most expensive single-family homes in Southern Ocean County — not located on the waterfront — when measured by total project cost.
The home, situated on Route 9, has been undergoing extensive renovations for several years as part of a long-term county initiative. Commissioners had most recently approved a $255,846.38 contract increase for exterior rehabilitation, bringing the project’s then-current cost to over $3.6 million.
“The current project represents the first of two phases to restore the 19th century mansion,” said Donna E. Flynn, spokeswoman for the Ocean County Board of Commissioners.
It is not known how much phase two will cost taxpayers. At this point, some in the community are suggesting the county cut its losses and sell the home on the public market as it has no real historic value to anyone other than the commissioners.
No prominent figures have ever lived in the home, and it was not the scene of any significant historical events.
With the new $2 million funding request now in motion, the price tag surpasses original projections by more than $2 million. Early estimates placed the full restoration at $4.7 million, already far exceeding the property’s market value.
The Cox House is slated to serve multiple purposes, including as office space for the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission and as an interpretative center connected to the Barnegat Branch Trail — a 15.9-mile recreational path still under development.
The monthly expenses to maintain those offices have also not been disclosed by the county.
“For $7 million, they could have built a brand new office building,” one local resident posted on Shore News Network’s social media pages.
Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi said he is requesting all of the expenses related to the project.
“I am asking for a breakdown of all the costs past and present,” Commissioner Sadeghi told Shore News Network last week.
The project has remained a consistent priority for Commissioner Virginia E. Haines, who has emphasized a personal historical significance and potential community benefit. The structure stands one block from the trail’s southern terminus and is seen by county officials as a key link between local history and public recreation.