Crews Working on Former Merge Nightclub to Stave off Demolition

As Seaside Heights officials are preparing to go to court to force the demolition of a crumbling former nightclub that has been deemed a safety hazard, crews hired by its owner began making repairs to the building on Monday.

The building is now fully owned by Robert Bennett, who bought out former owner John Saddy. Performing work on the building is likely a bid to convince a judge that the building is salvageable, no longer a safety hazard, and should not be torn down. But borough officials still believe the building, whose roof has largely caved in and was damaged by both a fire and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, should come down.

Construction at the former Merge nightclub in Seaside Heights, June 26, 2018. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

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“Bob is a classy guy,” said Mayor Anthony Vaz, of Bennett, who borough officials will ask for a formal redevelopment plan for the site. But if a redevelopment plan is not submitted by a deadline set by the town, the option of condemnation remains on the table. The borough’s motion to initiate demolition would leave the lot empty and a lien on the property; condemnation would result in the borough seeking a private developer who would purchase the property and build something that would be decided through a formal redevelopment plan.

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