See what is replacing Seaside Heights hotspots Karma, Merge and more

Jean Mikle, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

SEASIDE HEIGHTS - Big plans are afoot in Seaside Heights, where Mayor Anthony Vaz and the Borough Council have been working to change the image of town from hard-partying to family-friendly.

In the last few years, big nightclubs like the Bamboo Bar, Karma and Merge have all closed down, and 14 motels have been sold for redevelopment. Another four are under contract.

Here are some renderings of the projects planned to replace the nightclubs and former motels in town.

Nightclubs to be redeveloped: Bamboo Bar, Karma nightclubs in Seaside Heights to become housing, retail

Karma nightclub, 401 Boulevard

Now empty site of the Karma Nightclub that has been closed for several years and the building is now for sale.
Now empty site of the Karma Nightclub that has been closed for several years and the building is now for sale.

Operated for years by controversial nightclub impresario John Saddy, Karma has not been open since 2018. The two-story building also included a restaurant. It's now vacant.

There are 36 townhouses planned for the Karma site on the Boulevard. Retail is planned for the first floor, and an indoor pool will serve residents.

Overhead view of a new residential building planned for the former site of the Karma nightclub in Seaside Heights.
Overhead view of a new residential building planned for the former site of the Karma nightclub in Seaside Heights.
An exterior view of a new building, with housing and retail stores, planned for the site of the former Karma nightclub in Seaside Heights.
An exterior view of a new building, with housing and retail stores, planned for the site of the former Karma nightclub in Seaside Heights.
A schematic of the exterior of housing and retail planned for the site of the former Karma nightclub on Seaside Heights' Boulevard.
A schematic of the exterior of housing and retail planned for the site of the former Karma nightclub on Seaside Heights' Boulevard.

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Merge nightclub, 308 Boulevard

The former Boulevard nightclub had been closed for years when it was finally demolished in 2018. The planning board recently approved a development with three townhouses and four retail spaces along the Boulevard.

Townhouses and retail planned for the Boulevard site of the former Merge nightclub and an adjacent parking lot, Seaside Heights.
Townhouses and retail planned for the Boulevard site of the former Merge nightclub and an adjacent parking lot, Seaside Heights.

On the parking lot behind the Merge site, 11 single-family homes are planned. The first, a five-bedroom, four-bathroom house, is expected to list for $949,000.

A five-bedroom, four-bath single family home planned for a parking lot adjacent to the site of the former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights.
A five-bedroom, four-bath single family home planned for a parking lot adjacent to the site of the former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights.

Bamboo Bar, 201 Boulevard

The Bamboo Bar, a local club where many people including the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore frequently hung out and partied, is demolished. It will be replaced with condos and retail stores as the Boulevard is redeveloped. Seaside Heights, NJFriday, October 29, 2021
The Bamboo Bar, a local club where many people including the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore frequently hung out and partied, is demolished. It will be replaced with condos and retail stores as the Boulevard is redeveloped. Seaside Heights, NJFriday, October 29, 2021

This massive bar was once a favorite of the cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore." It could hold more than 3,100 people back in its heyday. Demolished in 2021, the Bamboo site remains vacant after the developer became ill, Mayor Vaz said.

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The Bamboo Bar, a local club where many people including the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore frequently hung out and partied, is demolished. It will be replaced with condos and retail stores as the Boulevard is redeveloped. Seaside Heights, NJFriday, October 29, 2021
The Bamboo Bar, a local club where many people including the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore frequently hung out and partied, is demolished. It will be replaced with condos and retail stores as the Boulevard is redeveloped. Seaside Heights, NJFriday, October 29, 2021

Initial plans for the Bamboo included 48 for-sale units, and retail on the ground floor. The project has not yet been brought before the borough's planning board.

A rendering of the project planned for the site where the Bamboo Bar is now located on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights.
A rendering of the project planned for the site where the Bamboo Bar is now located on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights.
A rendering of a plan to replace the Bamboo Bar nightclub in Seaside Heights with apartments, retail on the first floor facing the Boulevard, and a pool for residents.
A rendering of a plan to replace the Bamboo Bar nightclub in Seaside Heights with apartments, retail on the first floor facing the Boulevard, and a pool for residents.

Surfside Motel, 200 Ocean Terrace and Glendale Motel, Lincoln Avenue

A Boston-based developer has proposed a hotel and banquet facility on the site of Seaside Heights' Surfside Motel and Glendale Motel in Seaside Heights, NJ Thursday June 15, 2023.
A Boston-based developer has proposed a hotel and banquet facility on the site of Seaside Heights' Surfside Motel and Glendale Motel in Seaside Heights, NJ Thursday June 15, 2023.

A Boston-based developer has proposed a 170-room hotel with banquet facilities for the site of these two adjacent motels.

A rendering of a new hotel proposed for Seaside Heights, at the site of the Glendale and Surfside motels.
A rendering of a new hotel proposed for Seaside Heights, at the site of the Glendale and Surfside motels.

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Coral Sands Motel, 1010 Boulevard

A developer has proposed to build townhouses on the Boulevard site of the Coral Sands Motel.

Townhomes are planned for the site of the Coral Sands Motel in Seaside Heights, at 1010 Boulevard.
Townhomes are planned for the site of the Coral Sands Motel in Seaside Heights, at 1010 Boulevard.

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. 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 NJ replacements for Karma, Merge, Bamboo and motels