By ELLEN CARROLL
 Coaster Photo: In December work stopped on the Esperanza high-rise on the oceanfront in Asbury Park. |
A Metro Homes official said his company is committed to completing a high-rise at the site of the Esperanza on the oceanfront in Asbury Park, but it will be a few months before plans are firmed up.
We are working our way through our difficulties, said Dean Geibel, a Metro Homes principal. We have been working very closely with the city and they are giving us more time to reorganize. We have talks going with some new people, some new partners who will be involved.
Geibel said the project was not being sold.
I am working every day on it, he said. Im there all the time. The city has been very supportive. They realize it has been a difficult time. We are working on a number of different plans simultaneously.
Construction on the luxury high-rise condominium building was stopped Dec. 7 when Metro Homes said it couldnt continue due to the softening real estate market. The project, as approved by the city, featured restaurants, a gym, retail businesses and 24-hour concierge. Geibel said he hopes to continue at the site using the construction already there.
I dont want to tear down what we already have there, he said. We may make modifications to the plan. But we are still committed to turning out a quality building. That is what we are known for.
Geibel said he could not be more specific about future plans for the site.
We are not that far along yet in our decision-making, he said. We will be cleaning up the site for the summer and we will be putting up new signs.
Geibel praised Madison Marquette for its work at the beachfront specifically on the pavilions on the boardwalk.
Madison Marquette was the missing link, he said. Its happening. Its not going to go backwards anymore.
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Zero credibility. Geibel and Metro Homes shafted the city as well as the people who bought condos nearby on the strength that the Esperanza would be built as advertised. Whatever the new scheme may be, I hope the city demands, guarantees and bonds. Personally, I’d like to see Madison Marquette to step in and make Metro Homes step aside.
The plight of Asbury is so sad and it seems developers and politicians and whoever else gets their pockets lined have been pigs at the trough.
My wife and I were there July 3rd and there is still a large police presence and anything outside of the Stone Pony crowd for the Southside show looked basically shady- it looks like a city in such despair-just a step above the South Bronx of the 70`s.
I have to admit that anyone paying the $600K that they want for condos to live there would be a fool. The 20 minute ride off the GSP is a complete turnoff to anyone who would want ocean property-then when you get out of the ghetto and hit the beach-it is still a shell and sad.
How long will people let “developers” keep their deposits-etc?
Its not the peoples fault but what was really sad is that we were basically frightened away from going to the beach this weekend because the crowds there are just plain trouble from what we are told.
In closing what was once a jewel is now a worn-torn banged up bracelet and it just reeks that the state let AC get all the attention and that no small miracle will ever bring AP back to life.
Gary, I am sorry to hear that you did not find Asbury to your liking. I have been there just over a year and seen and huge change in the way it used to look. The boardwalk is still being worked on but it is thriving. The beach is great, the town keeps it very clean and there has been no problems on the boardwalk that I’m aware of. There is still a lot of work to be done between the downtown and beach area but because of the police presence the safety factor has definitely improved. Please come back again and see the changes since July 3rd, I think you’ll see a change.
Rob: Thanks for the offer and I do intend on getting back before summers end. I may have been too harsh because I wanted to see more movement and am worried by some locals attitudes that nothing will happen.
The beach is awesome and the sights are historical and the CH is breathtaking to me always. I did miss the Casino but that was falling apart so I can understand.
I fact I was hoping that in time when I can retire that AP is a reasonable alternative and it should be.
I still think the turn off to many is the 20 minutes to ride through the what once was a bad area- While we heard sirens a lot there was nothing that made us feel any immediate danger.
I intend on being back and really am hoping that things take off- but not that much and then you get the congestion of success.
But that still seems off a few years.
If you live there Good Luck and keep the fight to improve. I just hate thinking that the developers will again renege on what they have promised for years now- that shell of the Esperanza was a bad site- I did not see promise- I saw rejection and quit.
If they had made the condos affordable it probably would have been completed. But no, make it ultra expensive and keep out the people that never left Asbury Park. I think it’s a joke. The new condos by the lake have no Ocean, Shore or past Asbury Park theme. They look like typical suburban condos like something one would find near any Mall in NJ. Bad, bad planning.
They are trying too hard to cater to the “upstream” of clientele and should be working more at bringing the boardwalk back to “the people” and make it more like Seaside with great places to eat and some games and noise and fun.
The boardwalk has a furniture store-high end clothes store and an overpriced candy store where a box of Taffy is $10 and its not made in AP or Berkeley.
They seem to want to go right by the middle class that mostly inhabit the successful shore towns and shoot for the stars and high end – high cost living.
Not so sure that’s a long term recipe for success.
Its not South Beach guys.
With everything that is happening in the financial industry do you think the problem with the vision to help out this great community is the problem of Metro Homes. What was there before Metro Homes came in was bare bones for years. I think Metro Homes will bounce back and make this place the real estate palace it should be. The dream is there and alive.