By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Asbury Park Planning Board approved minor changes to the -6 story mixed used construction at 1101 Ocean Ave.
iStar, the waterfront developer, also came before the board to ask for the right to move the staging area now being used west of the construction site on Kinglsey Street in the event they decide to move forward with another project on the 4001 block of Kingsley in the next year.
Attorney for iStar Frederick Laventhal said developers have not yet formulated a plan for new construction but said it would most likely be one year in the planning and a two-year build.
He said the current project which is being called simply 1101 Ocean Avenue is “an enormous project. We need elbow room.”
He said if the new project moves forward the construction yard would be moved to one of sites in the Waterfront Redevelopment Area owned by iStar which is now being used as a parking lot.
Mayor John Moor, who also sits on the board asked Laventhal and Senior Vice President of iStar Brian Cheripka to give the city advanced notice, possibly six months, before taking parking spots away.
“It’s going to change traffic patterns,” Moor said.
Cheripka agreed and said having the pre-approval by the board will hasten construction.
“I ask for your flexibility in getting this done…our goal is to accelerate the redevelopment of the waterfront area,” Cheripka said.
Cheripka also said his company benefits from parking revenue.
“We get paid back by parking lots (and) it is with a heavy heart that I take one off line” he said.
He later said there may be a one year overlay when one of their parking lots would be used as a staging area for a new project, but it’s possible only one third to one half of the lot would be needed as a construction yard.
“There may be a one year overlap of projects to lose a parking lot,” he said.
The project at 1101 Ocean Avenue is a 16-story building with 54 hotel rooms and 130 residential units planned. There will be retail on the ground floor and a parking garage for residents as well as 110 public parking spots. It will also have a public pool and lounge area on the fourth floor mezzanine.
Cheripka said at the meeting that the expected opening for 1101 Ocean Avenue is Spring of 2019.
Amendments to the original plans approved by the board included decreasing hotel rooms by two and converting them to residential units which will be used as the sales center before being sold.
There were also minor changes to doorways, lighting and landscaping.
Board members also asked for a review of proposed murals before they are applied to the building.
