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Former Seaside Heights Nightclub Demolished

by
Daniel Nee
October 29, 2018

Demolition of the former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights, N.J., Oct. 27, 2018. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

A Seaside Heights nightclub that has not operated in more than six years has been demolished.

Crews began the demolition of the former Merge nightclub, located at 308 Boulevard, on Friday. The demolition was largely completed by the weekend and only debris and the outline of some of the building’s outer walls remained.

Demolition of the former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights, N.J., Oct. 27, 2018. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Mayor Anthony Vaz said the owner of the nightclub had applied for a demolition permit. In August, the borough council approved a consent order that gave the property owner, Robert Bennett, who acquired it from longtime owner John Saddy, 60 days to propose a redevelopment plan or face condemnation. The building was declared a safety hazard by the town earlier this year, at which point it was fenced off to prevent passersby from being injured.

Vaz said no proposals have been submitted to the borough indicating what may eventually be built on the plot of land, which is located directly across the street from a miniature golf course and ice cream shop that Bennett also owns.

The former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights, fenced off for safety reasons, Aug. 2018. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The former Merge nightclub, part of a three-block area that may be slated for redevelopment in Seaside Heights, NJ. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Demolition of the former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights, N.J., Oct. 27, 2018. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The Merge property has previously been declared an area in need of redevelopment by the borough council and planning board. Under state land use law, that designation forces the owner of a blighted property to submit and put into place a redevelopment plan that adheres to the borough’s conditions or sell the property. The law also allows the borough to condemn the property as a last resort.