City approves $500M hotel redevelopment
Project to take five to seven years to complete
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

Above: A rendering of the hotel/resort/conference complex in Long Branch. Below: A view of Broadway looking north from the beachfront.

Broadway will become the gateway to the oceanfront under plans for a multi-million-dollar resort/hotel/conference center, which the Long Branch City Council approved last week.

The renovation and expansion of the Ocean Place Resort & Spa phase of the redevelopment project will include moving the hotel's conference center to allow Broadway to extend to the beachfront.

At a press conference Aug. 7 held prior to a special meeting and public hearing on the proposed redevelopment plans, Ocean Place Development gave a presentation on the $500 million mixed-use oceanfront project.

"We are tearing down the conference center to extend South Broadway to the ocean," said David L. Orr, a partner in Ocean Place Development. "That is one of the public benefits associated with the [project]."

Project architect William K. Hellmuth, added, "Broadway comes and dead ends into the conference center. [In the proposed plan] Broadway comes right through and reopens the view.

"It is all about using this great asset, which is the beach," Hellmuth said.

At the special meeting, council unanimously adopted resolution 212-07 authorizing Ocean Place Development to construct the Ocean Place Development project in the city's hotel campus redevelopment zone.

During the public hearing, one city resident suggested that developers incorporate youth recreation into the residential, retail and commercial complex.

"I think retail is great, but we have a lot of retail now," said Lori Ann Vendetti, Ocean Terrace.

"There is nothing regarding amusements or recreation. I think there should be some consideration, maybe outdoor golfing.

"A golf course would be something simple to add to this," Vendetti said.

Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli responded, "If you only knew how many times people asked me about a golf course down on the oceanfront."

Councilman Anthony Giordano explained that the city plans to include recreational facilities in the city's overall oceanfront redevelopment plan.

As part of the agreement with the city, Ocean Place Development has committed a $20 million cash payment toward the estimated $55 million Millennium Pier to be built in the Pier Village Redevelopment zone which borders the hotel property.

"That is the idea for the pier," Giordano said. "There definitely will be entertainment on the pier."

The multi-use redevelopment project calls for the construction of additional hotel units as well as residential and retail space on the 18-acre Ocean Boulevard site.

"Our vision is that Ocean Place become a destination," Orr said at the press meeting. "The hotel is currently a three-star, and [this plan] will make it a four-star hotel and spa. It will be an area where you live and work, shop and dine and just relax."

Orr said the developer hopes to break ground on the project in the spring. Completion of the project is estimated to take five to seven years, according to Orr.

Some city residents at the meeting had mixed views on the plan.

"I think it is beautiful. I think this is just what Long Branch needs," Joseph Acerra, Calvert Avenue, said at the meeting. "We needed something real positive. I'm looking forward to it."

Broadway resident Kevin Brown, who is fighting to save his home in the Broadway arts redevelopment zone from being condemned for a private redevelopment project, agreed.

"Do a good job for the city," Brown said. "Do a good job for the residents."

But resident Denise Hoagland, of Ocean Terrace, said she is concerned with the concept of the project being a 12-month-a-year destination.

"Pier Village is already losing four of its retail establishments this fall," Hoagland said. "To say this is going to be 12 months out of the year is absolutely ludicrous. The people coming down here and living in Beachfront North are gone Sept. 15.

"Building in this capacity and not having retail affordable for the people that live in this city is a great concern of mine," Hoagland said.

The Ocean Place hotel is located in the hotel/campus redevelopment zone, one of six redevelopment zones in the city.

Key to the hotel/campus plan, according to the developer, is tearing down and relocating the current conference center on the site to make possible the extension of South Broadway across Ocean Boulevard through to the beachfront.

Ocean Place Development, a joint venture of Orr Partners and Tiburon Capitol Corp., owns all the property on the project site, which extends from Laird Street to Madison Avenue and from Ocean Boulevard to the oceanfront. The site is bisected by Broadway and also includes a tract of land from Abbottsford Avenue.

"We [already] own all of the land, so no acquisition is required," Orr said.

But some residents objected and said eminent domain had in fact been used to acquire properties on Abbottsford Avenue.

"Abbottsford Avenue was taken by eminent domain," Vendetti said. "It was used."

Hoagland agreed, "Eminent domain was used on Abbottsford Avenue. Play of words is everything around here."

The city bonded $1 million in 2004 to acquire nine properties on Abbottsford Avenue. Mayor Adam Schneider said in an interview in 2004 that eminent domain was used to acquire several of the nine properties.

The city then sold the Abbottsford properties to the developer for the redevelopment project, according to resolution 212-07.

The developer's plan to construct a new hotel tower next to the existing tower is to give a "twin identity" appearance, according to Hellmuth.

The existing 254-room hotel will be gutted and undergo a facelift and between the two towers, a total of 314 hotel rooms will be constructed.

In addition, 200 condo/hotel units will be constructed and another 275 residential units will be constructed on the site and 77 of those units will be marketed as affordable housing.

Plans also include 250,000 square feet of retail space, 103,000 square feet of commercial space and 2,300 parking spaces.

The parking spaces will be located in three garages, all of which are to be connected by an underground parking facility, according to Hellmuth.

The parking garages will be wrapped with residential units above retail at the ground level, Hellmuth explained.

When completed, the Ocean Place expansion project will provide 1,500 to 1,600 jobs in the city, according to Orr.

The developer has also pledged to incorporate green features in the project.

Other aspects of the plan include the construction of two destination restaurants and possibly a multiplex movie theater or a bowling alley.

The design calls for raising the main entrance of the hotel one level so people walking into the lobby will be overlooking the beach and ocean, according to Hellmuth.

The redeveloper's agreement and resolution can be viewed on the city Web site at www.longbranch.org. Plans also call for a power point presentation of the project on the Web site.

After voting in favor of the resolution to execute a developer's agreement, Giordano said the project is going to be a plus for the city.

"It is going to make the pier a reality," he said, adding, "This is really going to be a signature project, not only for Long Branch, but Monmouth County and the state of New Jersey."

"I'm also pleased that it is a high-quality project," Councilman Brain Unger added.

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