By Laura D.C. Kolnoski |
FORT MONMOUTH – Area veterans should soon be able to return to the familiar grounds of Fort Monmouth for a variety of services and assistance. Monmouth County officials are working to execute a lease with Tetherview, the new owners of the former fort’s Russel Hall in the Oceanport section for space to house a new Veterans Services Office satellite location.
Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, the county’s long-time representative on the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) and chairperson of its veteran’s subcommittee, toured space options in the 42,300-square-foot former administration building last week with FMERA staff. While the specific spot within the building is still being determined, the new satellite location of the county’s Veterans Services Office in Freehold will be run similar to the Monmouth County Connection on Route 66 in Neptune. That busy facility, opened in 2010, was designed to bring some of the most utilized government services to the eastern end of the county; offering passports, a notary public, senior and community programs, voter/election information, meeting space, a Surrogate’s officer, and more.
“This will be exclusively for vets,” Burry said of the new outpost. “Location is important so veterans feel comfortable at the site. Our best bet to get this long-awaited program going is to lease something on the fort. Tetherview is still being refurbished, making it very attractive. We looked at space on the ground floor and a second floor space accessible via elevator. It has strong possibilities. The bathrooms are all renovated. It’s the least expensive option.”
The site, at one end of the former parade grounds, will help veterans with access to Veterans Administration programs, offer assistance with learning about and filing for benefits, counseling, medical information, employment, referrals, and more: “Veterans’ questions and needs,” Burry said. Costs, a timeline, and potential state funding sources are being determined by the subcommittee. Burry is hopeful the new office can be up and running within several months.
A place for veterans to continue to visit the fort to learn about and avail themselves of critical services has been part of the plans since FMERA began redevelopment seven years ago. Burry has been seeking a small fort building that could serve the purpose, but some were purchased by private firms while others weren’t the right fit. She said FMERA Executive Director Bruce Steadman recommended Tetherview, a private cloud computing services company that purchased Russel Hall and relocated there from Staten Island last year. The firm, which cultivates new opportunities for start-up companies, has been leasing space to other technology firms since then.
“We’re anxious to get this program going,” said Burry, who hopes to cross another key item off her wish list at the fort site. “The final component is a museum with artifacts that in some cases the veterans themselves can provide. They will feel a link to it.”
This article was first published in the Oct. 12-19, 2017 print edition of The Two River Times.
