CityWorks in the Press
Renewal is Making Headway in Neptune
Old barbershop razed; home next
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 07/13/06
BY MICHELLE SAHN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU
NEPTUNE - As the claw of a large yellow excavator tore through the roof of an old barbershop on West Lake Avenue, Migdalia Fortune of Asbury Park stopped to watch.
"It's about time,'' said Fortune, 47, who lives on Washington Avenue. "It's been empty for so long. They need to put something there.''
Under Neptune's redevelopment plans for its Midtown section, the stretch of West Lake Avenue between Route 35 and the Asbury Park boundary will eventually be home to 120,000 square feet of commercial, office and retail space and 165 residential units.
"That's exactly what they need,'' Fortune said.
Renee Hill, 40, of Drummond Avenue agreed. The building was "an eyesore,'' she said, applauding the plan to bring in stores and homes.
The one-story building, which also had an area used by the Elks, is the second to be torn down in the neighborhood. Last year, Neptune approved the redevelopment plan and named CityWorks, a Trenton-based nonprofit agency, as the redeveloper. The project is one of several redevelopment projects planned in Neptune.
Jeff Norris, 35, who lives in Jackson but grew up in Asbury Park, said he hopes the redevelopment brings new revenue, people and jobs to the area.
"This is great,'' he said as he watched the walls fall.
The barbershop has relocated to Route 35, and the West Lake Avenue building has been vacant for more than a year, said Gail Oliver, president of the Midtown Urban Renaissance Corp.
Eminent domain avoided
John Barbagallo owns the property and plans to redevelop it in compliance with the town's plan.
So far, he is the only private property owner to propose redeveloping his own land,
and Mayor Thomas Catley said it is an example of the township's desire to work with existing property owners. The mayor also noted that so far, the township has avoided using eminent domain.
Barbagallo also owns a vacant house and several lots across the street. CityWorks is under contract to buy that property, and the house is expected to be demolished today.
The redevelopment plans also call for a new park, and CityWorks is negotiating with Jersey Shore University Medical Center on the lease of 30,000 square feet of space where outpatient services would be provided.
Tom Clark, executive director of CityWorks, expects the redevelopment project to go before the state Economic Development Authority and the Neptune Planning Board in September and hopes to break ground around October or November.
Lester Goldberg … who owns Scrubber Doctor, a janitorial equipment and supply company on Route 35, and who initially criticized the plans because he and his wife had spent $200,000 renovating their building … said he is negotiating with Neptune and CityWorks.
"It seems like they're trying to treat me fairly,'' he said. "I'm willing to move, as long as we get equal to what we have now. They're trying to relocate us within Neptune.''
Old barbershop razed; home next
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 07/13/06
BY MICHELLE SAHN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU
NEPTUNE - As the claw of a large yellow excavator tore through the roof of an old barbershop on West Lake Avenue, Migdalia Fortune of Asbury Park stopped to watch.
"It's about time,'' said Fortune, 47, who lives on Washington Avenue. "It's been empty for so long. They need to put something there.''
Under Neptune's redevelopment plans for its Midtown section, the stretch of West Lake Avenue between Route 35 and the Asbury Park boundary will eventually be home to 120,000 square feet of commercial, office and retail space and 165 residential units.
"That's exactly what they need,'' Fortune said.
Renee Hill, 40, of Drummond Avenue agreed. The building was "an eyesore,'' she said, applauding the plan to bring in stores and homes.
The one-story building, which also had an area used by the Elks, is the second to be torn down in the neighborhood. Last year, Neptune approved the redevelopment plan and named CityWorks, a Trenton-based nonprofit agency, as the redeveloper. The project is one of several redevelopment projects planned in Neptune.
Jeff Norris, 35, who lives in Jackson but grew up in Asbury Park, said he hopes the redevelopment brings new revenue, people and jobs to the area.
"This is great,'' he said as he watched the walls fall.
The barbershop has relocated to Route 35, and the West Lake Avenue building has been vacant for more than a year, said Gail Oliver, president of the Midtown Urban Renaissance Corp.
Eminent domain avoided
John Barbagallo owns the property and plans to redevelop it in compliance with the town's plan.
So far, he is the only private property owner to propose redeveloping his own land,
and Mayor Thomas Catley said it is an example of the township's desire to work with existing property owners. The mayor also noted that so far, the township has avoided using eminent domain.
Barbagallo also owns a vacant house and several lots across the street. CityWorks is under contract to buy that property, and the house is expected to be demolished today.
The redevelopment plans also call for a new park, and CityWorks is negotiating with Jersey Shore University Medical Center on the lease of 30,000 square feet of space where outpatient services would be provided.
Tom Clark, executive director of CityWorks, expects the redevelopment project to go before the state Economic Development Authority and the Neptune Planning Board in September and hopes to break ground around October or November.
Lester Goldberg … who owns Scrubber Doctor, a janitorial equipment and supply company on Route 35, and who initially criticized the plans because he and his wife had spent $200,000 renovating their building … said he is negotiating with Neptune and CityWorks.
"It seems like they're trying to treat me fairly,'' he said. "I'm willing to move, as long as we get equal to what we have now. They're trying to relocate us within Neptune.''
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