The rebuilding of Seaside Park's fire-damaged boardwalk could begin in two weeks.

Massive Fire Leaves Major Damage To Jersey Shore Town Of Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights and Seaside Park fire (Spencer Platt, Getty Images)
loading...

The borough planning board approved designs by Funtown Pier Associates, according to the group's lawyer Harvey York of the firm Novins, York and Jacobus in Toms River.

The group owns the boardwalk and pier area from the Sawmill Cafe to Seaside Heights.

"The approval allows construction of the boardwalk, and it sets in motion the next phase of the project," York said, "which would be the construction of the actual buildings for the services -- the games, the ice cream parlors, the pizza places."

He added it would be a slightly different plan from what existed before.

"The boardwalk will be 60 feet wide and fairly wide-open," York said.

However, York said the new plan has some business owners concerned because they were located in the middle of the boardwalk's alleyways before the fire, and they're not happy with being moved to the side.

"We have to negotiate with them to come to some resolution as to where they'll be located, and deal with their leases," he said.

The boardwalk had two separate and distinct alleys heading north from Seaside Park's open beach area to Seaside Heights before a massive, wind-swept inferno engulfed the structures on Sept. 12.

"Some of those people (businesses) were in the middle, and now because there would be no middle, (they) are concerned about their location," York said. "So at some point, my client has to amend their leases satisfactorily, so that everybody gets a location that they feel with work for them."

He said he doesn't expect that to happen for another three to six months. York also said buildings will not be constructed this season.

"What may happen is that some of them, with our consent, may seek temporary locations on the sides once the boardwalk is built," he said. "That will be a decision for the planning board to decide in the coming months."

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM