The owner of the Asbury Park Casino has requested a permit to demolish the breezeway of the iconic Jersey Shore structure, much to the chagrin of city officials.
Redevelopment Counsel for the City of Asbury Park Joseph J. Maraziti Jr. said in a statement Tuesday that the possibility of demolishing the breezeway has “once again demonstrated its shocking disregard for the integrity of the iconic Asbury Park Boardwalk treasures that it has owned since 2010.
“The city is deeply disappointed in this latest illustration of a pattern of behavior that is disrespectful to the historic heritage of Asbury Park.”
A social media post showed an orange sticker dated Jan. 22 deeming the now-closed breezeway an unsafe structure.
The casino building, along with Convention Hall and all the buildings on the Asbury Park boardwalk, are owned by Madison Marquette, which is responsible for their upkeep.
But, the company has drawn criticism for the perceived slow pace of redevelopment on the boardwalk, and in January 2023, the Asbury Park City Council voted to hold Madison Marquette in default of its obligations to maintain and restore the buildings.
Maraziti reiterated those concerns again on Tuesday.
“Madison Marquette, through its subsidiary Madison Asbury Retail, LLC, has repeatedly breached the commitments it made when it entered into the Subsequent Developer Agreement which it negotiated over 15 years ago with previous city officials to develop, finance, construct, operate, repair, and maintain, various sites of historic importance along the Boardwalk,” he said.
However, the language of the 2010 agreement limits the legal options for the city to respond to breaches of the contract, he said.
Maraziti added that the owner has routinely ignored Notices of Default issued by the city in the past.
Madison Marquette could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday night.
There are multiple legal steps that must be taken by the company prior to the issuance of a demolition permit by the city’s construction official, Maraziti said.
“Among them, the city will insist on a report by a certified structural engineer as to the option to conduct repairs to assure public safety, rather than demolition of the building,” he said.
Built in 1929, the Casino once housed bumper cars and an indoor skating rink, but the bulk of the building was demolished in 2006. Nearly 100 years of wind, rain, and salt air have left the Casino in serious disrepair.
The building was abruptly closed in May 2023, and has not reopened since, according to a spokesperson for the city.
At the time, Madison Marquette quashed rumors that it was planning to demolish the structure and stated that it was planning a major revamp, to include a 5,000-seat amphitheater on the beach where the bulk of the Casino once stood.
According to a report in the Asbury Park Sun, Madison Marquette has proposed a $130 million plan to restore Convention Hall, the Paramount Theater and the Casino. The project would be funded by state and federal tax credits, the company said.
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