Beachfront Revival

Four Asbury Park Pillars Undergoing Major Restoration

Once a star of the Jersey Shore, Asbury Park, N.J., is banking on a revitalization plan that will bring back residents, tourists, and its historic architecture.

By Jeffrey Rubenstone

Asbury Park, N.J., in its heyday last century was a prime destination on the Jersey Shore, but a gradual decline left much of its historic boardwalk in neglect.

The Oceanfront Asbury redevelopment plan for Asbury Park - Casion (Photo by Stephanie Schiebel)

Now, the city is poised to once again become a beachfront hotspot thanks to a large redevelopment project that entails the restoration and renovation of four of the boardwalk’s prominent buildings.

Launched in 2004, the Oceanfront Asbury redevelopment plan encompasses 56 acres, including a significant part of the boardwalk. In addition to the redevelopment and renovations to the boardwalk and its adjoining structures, there are plans for 2,164 residential units, all in an effort to draw year-round activity to the seaside city.

The centerpiece of the project is the reconstruction and rehabilitation of four historic boardwalk structures: the Paramount Theater, Convention Hall, Casino, and Power Plant, all of which will be part of the developer’s $200 million investment into retail spaces. Previously owned by the city, the properties now belong to Asbury Partners, the master developer.

Asbury Partners plans to not only bring the historic buildings up to code but also preserve and retrofit them to serve as anchors for a broader retail strategy, says Larry Fishman, COO of the firm, which is based in Asbury Park and is acting as construction manager for its redevelopment project.

The program, which began last year and is set to finish in 2010 or 2011, has already involved $20 million in work through various renovation and residential contractors, Fishman says.

“In redevelopment projects, people debate what should come first: retail or residential,” he adds. “Most say residential, and that is the approach we are taking with Oceanfront Asbury. We are, however, trying to keep with the philosophy of smart growth, to utilize urban centers.”

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But work is also well under way on the restoration efforts. As the city’s most recognizable landmarks, the Paramount Theater and Convention Hall are receiving the greatest attention.

Designed by Warren and Wetmore of New York and built in 1923, the two buildings frequently served as performance venues for music and stage acts. The two structures are connected by an open air arcade, with the theater set back from the water and the convention hall extending onto the boardwalk itself.

But the 3,600-person-capacity Convention Hall and 1,600-seat theater slowly drifted into disrepair over the years.

 “Generally, what we are doing is bringing the space up to the level of an acceptable venue for performances,” said John Clarke, partner with New York-based Clarke Caton Hintz, which is handling development planning for the historic structures. “Preserving these buildings is important. They add character and quality to the boardwalk. It is important to the project that they be reoccupied by cultural uses.”

Two other Clarke Caton architects, John Hatch and Mary Ferlise, specifically focused on design of the historical rehabilitation.

Though preliminary renovation of the buildings started four years ago, serious restoration efforts took off late last year. The theater is set to receive new lighting and seats, as well as improved acoustics. The hall will get new lighting, along with historically accurate but upgraded and up-to-code doors and window fixtures.

The work also entails the replacement of roof sections and the restoration of exterior façades on both buildings, which show years of wear. Work on the two buildings is expected to cost $13 million, with the largest share going to the extensive rehabilitation of the Convention Hall exterior, says Donald Sammet, redevelopment officer for Asbury Park.

Renovation of the other buildings, the Casino and Power Plant, requires more structural rather than restoration work, and will cost about $2 million, he adds. Both are getting new roofs, for instance.

A section of the Casino known as the “arena” was found to be structurally unsound and demolished earlier this year, Sammet says. A two-story structure almost exactly matching the previous structure will fill the gap, he adds.

The Casino’s exterior also requires significant work. Eventually, it will serve as a multipurpose marketplace and retail center, Clarke says.

The former power facility for Asbury Park will house restaurants, Fishman says. Despite its age and structural problems, the team wanted the Power Plant’s unique architecture and distinctive chimney preserved in the final design.

While the four buildings are the signature efforts, the entire boardwalk is getting a facelift under the Oceanfront Asbury plan. Many of the old pavilions that line it are set to be torn down and rebuilt as similar two-story retail structures fronting the beach, while others will be renovated. Even the boardwalk itself is getting attention, with plans for a northward extension.

The team is working closely with state and local historic preservation offices because both the Convention Hall and theater are certified as landmarks. Asbury Partners also secured a blanket permit under New Jersey’s CAFRA laws, which govern the ecological impact of construction on the state’s shoreline.

“Normally, we would need to get CAFRA approval on individual projects, but Asbury Partners negotiated a ‘sector permit’ covering the entire area of redevelopment,” Sammet says. “This is a great advantage for us, because we can avoid all the red tape of submitting separately for each structure.”

Getting the permit also expedited the approval process for Oceanfront Asbury designs. Preserving the historic features was a critical ingredient, Fishman says.

“We wanted to incorporate the town’s history into our designs, so that these historical buildings would have a vibrant use in the future Asbury Park,” he adds.

Key Players

Developer-Construction Manager: Asbury Partners

Design Team: Clarke Caton Hintz, New York

Contractor: J. Fletcher Creamer, Hackensack, N.J.

Engineer: Schoor DePalma Engineers and Consultants, Manalapan, N.J.