Asbury Park erupts over demolition fears at iconic boardwalk landmark

🎠 Asbury Park officials push back against a developer’s request tied to demolition near the boardwalk.

⚠️ An “unsafe structure” notice sparks backlash, fueling fears over the fate of the historic Casino and Carousel buildings.

🏛️ City leaders vow to protect boardwalk landmarks, citing legal hurdles under a 2010 property agreement.

ASBURY PARK — City officials have slammed a developer’s plan to demolish a landmark building along the Asbury Park boardwalk.

A bright red, “unsafe structure” sign stuck to a window of the iconic Carousel building started causing social media buzz on Tuesday.

Photos of the notice sparked concern within an Asbury Park public Facebook group, among other posts.

Developer seeks demolition permit for Casino building breezeway

By Tuesday evening, the city manager’s office confirmed that Madison Marquette has requested a permit to demolish the breezeway attached to the adjacent Casino building.

“Madison Marquette has once again demonstrated its shocking disregard for the integrity of the iconic Asbury Park Boardwalk treasures that it has owned since 2010,” attorney Joseph Maraziti said in a written statement, shared online.

“The City is deeply disappointed in this latest illustration of a pattern of behavior that is disrespectful to the historic heritage of Asbury Park,” the statement continued.

City blasts developer over historic preservation concerns

There are multiple legal steps required of Madison Marquette — and its subsidiary, Madison Asbury Retail — before any demolition permit could be issued.

Among those steps, Asbury Park would insist on a report by a certified structural engineer as to the option to conduct repairs over demolishing the building.

Legal hurdles include structural review and repair options

Maraziti’s firm is the redevelopment counsel for the Asbury Park Waterfront Redevelopment Area.

The law firm will now work to “identify creative options for the Mayor and City Council to consider in response to the plan to demolish the treasured Casino Building,” Maraziti also said.

A request for comment from Madison Marquette was not answered on Tuesday.

Casino building’s architectural legacy looms large

Both the Casino building and Convention Hall were designed in the 1920’s by prominent architects Warren and Wetmore, who also designed New York's Grand Central Terminal.

In the summer of 2021, artist HoTTea created a vibrant hanging yarn art installation that visitors enjoyed by walking through the Casino breezeway.

There had been a similar art installation in the same space in 2019.

In May 2023, the Casino building walk-through was closed off, behind fencing and wooden boards, as caught on video by NJ.com.

At that time, the developer shared a post reassuring the public.

“Of course, the Casino Building is NOT being demolished. As announced recently, we will be completing an historically significant renovation of the Casino Building into a world class destination for arts, entertainment and dining,” an announcement online said that the Casino would be reopened, shortly.

The historic building has remained shutdown, since.

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