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October 31, 2003
PHASE I DEMOLITION ENDS, RECONSTRUCTION COMMENCES ON ASBURY PARK'S RENOWNED BOARDWALK
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| The community outreach
initiatives of Asbury Partners, LLC, the City-appointed master developer
of the 56-waterfront redevelopment, Oceanfront Asbury, have come together
in a number of ways recently, bringing new jobs and employment opportunities
to many of the City's residents. The first phase of the boardwalk reconstruction,
the demolition of unsafe areas of the boardwalk, began in August involving
Larry Fishman, chief operating officer of Asbury Partners; Henry Vaccaro,
principal of Vaccaro Enterprises, LLC; Dr. Guy McCombs III, community
outreach liaison for Asbury Partners; and Stephen Henderson, president
of S&W General Contracting Services, Inc. |
The long-anticipated rebuild of Asbury Park's renowned, mile-long boardwalk reached
its first milestone in mid-October, as Phase I demolition ended and reconstruction
commenced, announced, Larry Fishman, chief operating officer for Asbury Partners,
LLC. The firm is rebuilding the entire, 60-foot wide structure as part of its
role as master developer for the 56-acre, mixed-use Oceanfront Asbury waterfront
redevelopment.
The project includes two overlapping phases. Phase I, which will be completed
by early spring, encompasses the portion of the boardwalk between the Casino
building and Fifth Avenue. Demolition work for Phase II, which includes the section
of the boardwalk north of the Convention Hall complex, will begin in early December.
The entire boardwalk reconstruction is expected to be completed before the 2004
summer season.
"This ambitious timeframe is based on carefully coordinated activity," explained
Marc Rutolo, assistant project manager with Asbury Partners, LLC. "As the demolition
advanced, the pile-driving crew started its work. The framing team will start
construction behind them, closely followed by the decking crew. Phase II demolition
will begin when Phase I deck construction reaches the mid-way point. We potentially
could have all four crews - including some 40 members - working at the same time.
This plan affords maximized efficiency." Rutolo credits the strong working relationship
among the contractors involved in the project for the excellent progress to date.
S&W General Contracting, Inc. of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Asbury Park, is
serving as general contractor for the demolition. Vaccaro Enterprises LLC based
in Asbury Park, is the project manager for S&W. Simpson & Brown of Cranford,
New Jersey, is the general contractor for the reconstruction.
"The pile driving is moving along, and all materials have been ordered," said
Bob Anttonen, Simpson & Brown's vice president and the project manager for the
reconstruction. "We expect to be placing timbers on the boardwalk by mid-November.
At that point, observers will begin to see the actual boardwalk come together.
After that, the work will progress quickly." Each of the boardwalk contractors
is involving city residents in the process through STARS (Strategic Target Area
Rebuilding Spirit), a Community Development Corporation focused on ensuring that
Small, Minority and Women Owned businesses (SBE, MBE and WBE) have an opportunity
to compete openly on public- and private-sector contract work. Already, Gordon
Construction, an MBE based in Asbury Park, has been awarded a sub-contract in
the demolition phase of the boardwalk project.
"The boardwalk reconstruction truly is a project to benefit Asbury Park through
employment opportunities today and as a recreational amenity that will provide
decades of enjoyment for residents and visitors," Fishman said. "Just as it played
a central role in this city's history, the boardwalk remains a focal point for
Oceanfront Asbury. Its progress offers an exciting glimpse of all that is to
come."
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