By PETE WALTON
An open public auction is set for Thurs., July 25 as the borough of Bradley Beach tries to sell the former church property it owns at 317-319 LaReine Ave.
Borough Attorney Greg Cannon will conduct the auction beginning at 2 p.m. in Borough Hall.
A minimum bid of $3.5 million is required.
Mayor Larry Fox said bid packages have been produced and are available.
“Local developers have been notified, and newspaper notices are in process,” Fox said. “We have also contracted with a professional for the appropriate disposition of the 40-plus artifacts in the church.”
The auction date was set in a resolution approved by a 4-0 vote of the mayor and Borough Council.
The borough purchased the former First United Methodist Church from the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association for $1.3 million in January 2020. In 2022, it was named as an endangered historic site by a statewide preservation group.
Even though the property was tax exempt because of its former use as a church, the land and improvements had an assessed valuation of $2,545,100 for 2022, according to Monmouth County tax records.
A proposal was made to repurpose the building as a community center, and the council authorized studies of the potential cost.
DIGroup Architecture of New Brunswick said the conversion could cost more than $10 million.
In November of 2022, voters in a non-binding referendum overwhelmingly rejected the community center plan.
Since that time, the mayor and council have considered various ways to move forward in regard to the property.
Earlier this year, Fox proposed using one of the four possible lots at the site to help address the borough’s affordable housing obligations.
That proposal was rejected by the council.
“Developers should be footing the bill [for affordable housing], not the residents,” said Council President Jane DeNoble. “It’s time for the mayor to hold developers responsible, not the residents.”
Fox said the borough could be hit with a lawsuit “for failing to abide by our constitutional obligation to provide affordable housing.”
Councilman Al Gubitosi said Fox’s proposal would have required Bradley Beach to “give away a million dollar lot from this property.”
The site can be inspected by appointment prior to the auction. Interested persons should contact the borough at 732-776-2999, extension 1029.
