March 12, 2003
OCEANFRONT ASBURY RECEIVES AWARDS FOR PLANS TO REVITALIZE 'JEWEL OF THE JERSEY SHORE'
Oceanfront Asbury, a 56-acre waterfront redevelopment project in Asbury Park,
New Jersey, has received two prestigious awards. The Waterfront Center, a non-profit
organization based in Washington, DC, recognized Oceanfront Asbury with an "Honors
Award" in the "Plans" category of its 16th Annual Excellence on the Waterfront
Awards program. In addition, the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning
Association presented Oceanfront Asbury with its 2002 "Outstanding Redevelopment
Plan Award."
"These awards acknowledge the tremendous efforts and hard work of our City
Council in Asbury Park as well as the expertise of the project planner, Clarke
Caton Hintz," noted Larry Fishman, chief operating officer of Asbury Partners,
LLC, the designated developer for Oceanfront Asbury.
The Waterfront Center is a non-profit, educational organization with members
worldwide. Founded in 1981, the Center strives through its conferences, workshops,
publications, awards program and community consulting work to assist cities
and towns on all kinds of water bodies to make the wisest long-term use of
their urban waterfront resources. The organization launched its awards program
in 1987 to recognize high-quality waterfront work of varied kinds. The 2002
awards jury - comprised of top industry professionals from around the world
- selected three plans and nine projects from 70 entries in the United States,
Canada and overseas.
The mission of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association
(NJAPA) is to promote sound planning as a process essential to improving the
quality of life of the citizens of New Jersey. The group helps the public and
the local and state officials become more aware of planning processes, issues
and techniques. It also provides opportunities for increasing the knowledge,
skills and commitment of those in the planning practice. The award was presented
during the organization's annual New Jersey Planning Conference, co-sponsored
by NJAPA and the Edward J. Bloustein School - Rutgers University.
Encompassing an estimated $1.25 billion in total economic development upon
completion, Oceanfront Asbury will ultimately restore Asbury Park to its renowned
stature as the "Jewel of the Jersey Shore." It includes an unprecedented effort
to incorporate urban empowerment priorities in the overall redevelopment goals.
The plan includes residential, retail, entertainment and recreational elements,
as well as municipal services, to be implemented in multiple phases. The residential
component incorporates approximately 2,500 new housing units as well replacement
of 500 additional units designed for year-round use. Low-rise buildings will
feature a combination of townhomes and condominiums. The redevelopment will
also include diverse year-round entertainment operations, including the family-oriented
amusements for which the Asbury Park oceanfront remains famous. In addition,
up to 450,000 square feet of retail development will further the City's tourism
offerings and benefits.
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