From the Asbury Park Press:
Picking up pace on the boardwalk
Madison Marquette, the lead partner redeveloping the city’s boardwalk pavilions and historic buildings, has announced ambitious plans for the summer that include opening several new restaurants — one of them operated by well-known restaurateur Tim McLoone.
“The boardwalk is the heart and soul of Asbury Park,” said Gary Mottola, president of Madison Marquette Investments. “We have plans to completely revitalize the boardwalk by summer.” The David Rockwell Group will be architects for construction projects, he said.
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Mottola said his company’s joint venture with Asbury Partners also plans to complete most of the renovations of Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre this year; give police the money they need for surveillance cameras at different points in the city; form an alliance with downtown merchants; and be a source of financial and other support for Asbury Park High School Principal Tyler Blackmore as he creates new learning academies at the high school in the fall.Mottola also said Asbury Partners has agreed to accelerate such off-boardwalk improvements as paving roads near the waterfront instead of waiting until a condominium project was ready to have residents move in. Asbury Partners also will fix the bulkhead along Wesley Lake and create 500 surface parking spaces near the beach until a parking garage is built.
“Asbury Park is a very important project for our company,” Mottola said. “Even though we have many projects across the country, this is a huge priority.”
Mottola said today’s market requires a large-scale financial commitment, not lesser individual efforts. It is that impact he’s looking for if the pavilions with the lineup of tenants are to be ready by summer.
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How Madison Marquette can pull all this off by summer remains to be seen. Dan DiBenedetto, chairman of the city’s Planning Board, sat on the Paramount stage and said afterward he plans to hold as many meetings as possible to have Mottola present the plans for approval.