July 9, 2003

A WORK IN PROGRESS: TEMPORARY MURALS ON ASBURY PARK PAVILIONS BEAUTIFY THE WATERFRONT FOR 2003 AND PREVIEW THE FUTURE

Renowned artists Andre and Roberta Sabori began painting decorative exterior murals on Asbury Park's First and Third Avenue boardwalk pavilions, announced Larry Fishman chief operating officer of Asbury Partners, LLC, the master redeveloper of Oceanfront Asbury, a 56-acre waterfront redevelopment now progressing in the City.

The temporary murals are part of the company's plans to beautify the waterfront as progress continues on the residential, retail and entertainment components of the project.
"This summer, we have opened some concessions for the season and have produced a full roster of festivals, entertainment and sporting events," Fishman noted. "The murals, which are being painted by artists whose work graces galleries and structures throughout the country, will depict the type of seasonal and year-round rental attractions that will be part of the future in Asbury Park. As a result, when visitors come here, they will see and feel the future of this great city emerging."

Muralist Andre Sabori, assisted by his wife Roberta, has a portfolio of paintings and murals that spans 20 years. He has painted hundreds of murals in popular sites ranging from Puglia Restaurant in New York's Little Italy to Augusta, Georgia's historical district and the Reno Hilton Hotel & Casino. Murals completed in the Jersey Shore area include several at the Water Works and Casino Pier and the Bamboo Bar in Seaside Heights and at Asbury Park's own Paradise nightclub.

The painting of the First and Third Avenue Pavilion murals is expected to take two months to complete as the artists paint first the street side and then the boardwalk side of the structures. They will depict the restaurants, nightclubs, retail shops and family entertainment facilities, which eventually burgeon along the waterfront area.

Asbury Partners is the master redeveloper of Oceanfront Asbury, which incorporates residential, retail and entertainment components along with municipal services and urban empowerment priorities. The company is working in partnership with the City of Asbury Park to bring the project to completion, ultimately producing an estimated $1.25 billion in total economic redevelopment for the City.

The company is a joint venture partnership of MD Sass Municipal Finance Partners III, LLC and Ocean Front Acquisitions, LLC specifically formed for the long-term commitment to the redevelopment of Asbury Park. The principals in both firms offer long histories of successfully repositioning and liquidating real estate property in the state.