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June
17 ,
2003
OCEANFRONT ASBURY PAVILION PLANS OK'D BY TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE; PROGRESS CONTINUES ON ASBURY PARK BOARDWALK
Renovation plans for two pavilions on the famed Asbury Park, New Jersey, boardwalk
have been sanctioned by a special Technical Review Committee (TRC) and sent
with comments to the City's planning and zoning boards, announced Larry Fishman,
chief operating officer of Asbury Partners, LLC. The designs involve the Third
and Fourth Avenue pavilions, two of five structures that Asbury Partners purchased
from the City earlier this year as part of its commitment as master developer
for Oceanfront Asbury.
"The TRC, created by City Council in early 2003, is a key part of the redevelopment
plan for this 56-acre, mixed-use waterfront project," Fishman explained. "The
eight-member team includes city and state officials, architects, and planners,
who were selected to look over proposed building designs as they emerge."
Asbury Partners recently unveiled the overall Retail/Entertainment Plan for Oceanfront
Asbury. Designed by SOSH Architects of Atlantic City and New York City,the finished
concept includes 450,000 square feet of restaurants, nightclubs and family entertainment
facilities, along with unique shops and boutiques lining the city's 60-foot wide,
mile-long boardwalk.
SHORT-TERM PROGRESS
Within Oceanfront Asbury's retail component, eight pavilions will be renovated
along the boardwalk, which is anchored by the landmark Convention Hall/Paramount
Theater Complex (CHP) to the north, and the Casino Building to the south. Asbury
Partners anticipates significant progress on several of these structures and
the boardwalk, itself, during 2003.
Already, the company has completed minor renovations at CHP, with more extensive
improvements planned for next year. A full season of events there will highlight
the region's entertainment offerings for Summer 2003.
Asbury Partners is currently launching construction work at a former Fifth Avenue
Pavilion, which will house a "sample shop" that will be fully operational this
summer. The store will sell sundries, beach towels and chairs, suntan lotion,
boogie boards and other traditional beach provisions.
As Asbury Partners awaits planning board approval to begin the proposed Third
Avenue Pavilion renovation, it is currently marketing the space with the goal
to have businesses open there this year. "We are negotiating with two new restaurant
tenants, and an existing concession shop will remain in the building," Fishman
said. "We expect to rebuild a large part of the structure over the next several
months."
According to Fishman, his team is very pleased with the overall accomplishments
to date. "We are on or ahead of schedule, and we expect to seeing additional,
progress during the summer," he said. "Above all, we look forward to witnessing
the beginning of Asbury Park's return, as we welcome flocks of visitors to our
newly revitalized beachfront."
LOOKING AHEAD
Asbury Partners has completed the initial cleanout of the five pavilions it currently
owns. "In some cases, we removed more than 30 years worth of debris," Fishman
said. "We are assessing the structural integrity of the buildings as well as
the requirements necessary for renovation.
"We expect to meet our goal of having most of the pavilions occupied in some
form or another by next year," he added. Asbury Partners is marketing the retail
redevelopment area to experienced seasonal and year-round retailers, restaurant
operators and entertainment companies nationwide.
The retail component is just one element in the comprehensive Oceanfront Asbury
Waterfront Redevelopment Plan. Designed by project planner Clarke Caton Hintz/Ehrenkrantz
Eckstut & Kuhn Architects a joint venture (CCH/EE&K), one of America's leading
urban architecture and design firms, Oceanfront Asbury encompasses residential,
retail, entertainment and recreational elements, as well as municipal services.
The residential portion will include approximately 2,500 new housing units as
well as replacement of 500 additional units. Prominent residential developers
including Westminster Communities and Paramount Homes have been selected by Asbury
Partners and submitted for acceptance by the city as subdevelopers on the project.
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