The owner of a local construction company has purchased the former emergency operations center building at 686 East Bay Ave. in Barnegat for $56,551.

The sale price, initially $125,000, was lowered to $50,000 due to what township committee members said was the building’s poor condition. The purchase by Ken Matthews was authorized in an ordinance by the committee at a special meeting last week. A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for the next meeting Tuesday, June 2, 6:30 p.m.