Seaside Heights 10-story Boulevard development receives state approval

Jean Mikle, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

SEASIDE HEIGHTS -- The state has approved a necessary permit for a 10-story building that is expected to transform the Boulevard.

George R. Gilmore, a consultant for developer SSH Boulevard LLC, said the state has granted a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA) permit, needed for large developers in coastal zones. The next step will be to make a site plan application to the borough's Planning Board, which Gilmore said the developer hopes to do within the next 30 days.

Nearly two years since a rusting steel skeleton on the Boulevard was demolished, construction has yet to start on a planned 10-story building there that borough officials believe is key to the area's redevelopment. The property is located between Hamilton and Webster avenues is shown Friday, April 7, 2023.
Nearly two years since a rusting steel skeleton on the Boulevard was demolished, construction has yet to start on a planned 10-story building there that borough officials believe is key to the area's redevelopment. The property is located between Hamilton and Webster avenues is shown Friday, April 7, 2023.

"It's great news," Gilmore said of receiving the CAFRA permit, which was a lengthy process that took more than 18 months.

The Boulevard project is expected to include 77 residential units, a restaurant and retail space.

Mayor Anthony Vaz said he was pleased when he learned that the CAFRA permit had been approved.

Nearly two years since a rusting steel skeleton on the Boulevard was demolished, construction has yet to start on a planned 10-story building there that borough officials believe is key to the area's redevelopment. The property is located between Hamilton and Webster avenues is shown Friday, April 7, 2023.
Nearly two years since a rusting steel skeleton on the Boulevard was demolished, construction has yet to start on a planned 10-story building there that borough officials believe is key to the area's redevelopment. The property is located between Hamilton and Webster avenues is shown Friday, April 7, 2023.

"It is good news," Vaz said. "They are all set now; they just have to come before the planning board, and then hopefully they can get shovels in the ground."

Vaz and other borough officials have said the 10-story tower is a game-changer for the Boulevard. A four-story, rusted steel skeleton towered over the Boulevard for more than a decade before it was demolished in August 2021.

In May 2021, the borough designated SSH Boulevard LLC as redeveloper of the Boulevard site.

Council members expressed enthusiasm for the project, which officials hope will kickstart redevelopment on the Boulevard.

The building initially was slated to be eight stories high, but the greater height was necessary to accommodate parking for the project in an onsite garage that will take up two  stories, Gilmore has said. He said state rules for large developments in coastal zones require parking to be provided onsite.

Demolition of the steel structure on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights, between Hamilton and Webster Avenues, gets underway Monday morning, August 16, 2021. The steel structure has been an eyesore for more than a decade. It's slated to be replaced by 79 residential units, a restaurant and retail stores on the bottom floors.
Demolition of the steel structure on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights, between Hamilton and Webster Avenues, gets underway Monday morning, August 16, 2021. The steel structure has been an eyesore for more than a decade. It's slated to be replaced by 79 residential units, a restaurant and retail stores on the bottom floors.

Since the building will take up almost the entire property, the parking must go underneath the structure. Tentative plans calling for a registration and office area on the third floor and a fourth-floor restaurant. Developers have said the intent is to attract year-round residents to live in the building, which will have units that range from one to three bedrooms.

The Borough Council adopted an ordinance permitting a 10-story building on the former steel skeleton site last year. The measure also designated maximum heights of buildings in various redevelopment zones along the Boulevard. Maximum heights were limited to five stories on other redevelopment sites, but the SSH Boulevard site was permitted to go to 10 stories, two higher than the previous borough limit.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 39 years. A finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in public service, she's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seaside Heights 10-story Boulevard development receives NJ approval