Government

Here’s What’s Going On With The 10-Story Replacement of Seaside Heights’ ‘Steel Structure’

by
Daniel Nee
August 16, 2023

The plan to build a 10-story mixed use complex on the site of the former “steel structure” along the Boulevard in Seaside Heights is progressing to a final hearing before the planning board later this month, and has also received state environmental permitting. Testimony at a recent workshop meeting of the board also indicated there is now a single principal behind the development.

In April, Seaside Heights borough officials set a deadline to which the redeveloper of the site, SSH Urban Renewal, was to submit documentation to the town demonstrating progress on a number of fronts. The redeveloper complied, and is scheduled to present a final site plan to the board for approval at a meeting set for Aug. 28. While appearing at the workshop meeting, planning board attorney Stephen Zabarsky said there is now one principal owner of the development firm – Daniel Matarese, who owns a 100 percent stake in the company. Previously, documents indicated a group of investors, including the wife of Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore and other notable political figures from across the state held stakes in the company.

Renderings and plans for the former ‘steel structure’ redevelopment effort, Seaside Heights, N.J. (Source: SSH Redevelopment Plan Deck)

The property that once housed the former ‘steel structure’ in Seaside Heights, now slated for redevelopment. (Photo: Shorebeat)

“There have been a number of meetings since his appointment with town officials and the development team concerning this application,” said Nino A. Coviello, the attorney representing Matarese, who owns the Danco construction firm, based in Morganville, N.J. Another one of these meetings will take place prior to the Aug. 28 meeting in order to discuss utility hookups and fire access with the borough’s public works superintendent, who also serves as chief of the borough’s volunteer fire company.

The plan remains largely the same as initially proposed: a 10-story building with 77 residential units and about 14,000 square feet of space for retail and restaurant use along the Boulevard between between Hamilton and Webster avenues. The restaurant will be located on the fourth floor of the building, Matarese told board members. On the roof of the building, there are plans to install a pool for residents with associated amenities.

One of the major hurdles for any development project in the Shore area, approval of a CAFRA (Coastal Areas Facilities Review Act) environmental permit from the state, has been cleared. The permit has been granted, Coviello said.

While the details of the complex will be presented to the board at its regular meeting, some new information was shared at the workshop session by Avelino Martinez, the architect on the project. The building will include 154 parking spaces – all above grade, as required by CAFRA – representing two spaces per residential unit. There will be no public parking on the premises. Refuse will be divided between a chute and compactor system for the residential units, and a commercial dumpster enclosure for the restaurant, which will have access to a dedicated freight elevator. The retail units will use small dumpsters that can be wheeled out for pickup by a private hauler. It is estimated the private hauler will pick up refuse two to three times per week, though it may be adjusted as needed.

“Each floor will have its own chute,” explained Martinez, referring to the residential portion.

The property that once housed the former ‘steel structure’ in Seaside Heights, now slated for redevelopment. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Renderings and plans for the former ‘steel structure’ redevelopment effort, Seaside Heights, N.J. (Source: SSH Redevelopment Plan Deck)

Security at the complex, which will be built on a 255,000 square foot swath of land, is being arranged in cooperation with a consulting firm and will be electronically-controlled. Residents will enter the garage and their units using key fobs or smartphone applications, and patrons to the restaurant will have their own path of access. Residents will be able to access their floor of the building and communal portions of the site.

“The garage will have a key fob, or something in your window, that will only allow residents to gain access,” said Matarese. “There will be all kinds of security cameras around the building and inside the building, up to the fourth floor where we have the restaurant.”

The ‘steel structure’ on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights is demolished, Aug. 16, 2021. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The steel structure at the Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue in Seaside Heights, June 5, 2019. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The property on which the ambitious project is proposed to be constructed was owned for more than a decade by nightclub operator Vincent Craparotta, who envisioned a multi-floor entertainment complex with pools, clubs and restaurants. After the steel framing was installed, however, construction ground to a halt, encompassing the 2008 financial crisis, Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and other legal disputes. The borough ultimately condemned the deteriorating framing, universally considered an eyesore, and declared the property as an area in need of redevelopment. SSH Boulevard, and its successor company, was appointed to redevelop the site based on specifications outlined by the borough council and planning board.

The workshop hearing lasted about a half-hour, though the formal site plan presentation is likely to include testimony from numerous professional experts. It is currently scheduled to be heard at the board’s Aug. 28 meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m. in the council chambers above the firehouse on Grant Avenue.