Two Seaside Heights Motels to be Considered for Redevelopment Into Larger Hotel Proposal

A plan to bring a 180-room hotel and banquet facility to Seaside Heights, under consideration by an unnamed investor from the Boston area, would see two existing motels demolished in favor of the higher-end property.

The Seaside Heights planning board later this month will conduct a hearing on a study commissioned by the borough to determine whether a swath of property on Lincoln Avenue qualifies as an area in need of redevelopment. The redevelopment designation would allow the borough council to develop a site-specific plan for the parcels of land that include both the Sunrise Motel and the Glendale Motel, which are located next door to one another.

The Glendale Motel and Surfside Motel, Lincoln Avenue, Seaside Heights, Aug. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

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The inclusion of the Glendale Motel, which has seen its own share of troubles in recent years, in the redevelopment proposal suggests the 180-room hotel complex would be constructed across both properties.

Redevelopment declarations can pave the way for a voluntary sale of a property or a taking by way of eminent domain. In this case, Seaside Heights specifically articulated in a public notice that the borough was not using the process for condemnation purposes. The redevelopment plan, if implemented, would simply set guidelines for the construction of a new hotel on the property and allow the borough to appoint a redeveloper that would comply with various regulations and prove financial stability.

With property values rising and redevelopment efforts in full swing, many motel owners are finding it more profitable to sell their land than continue investing in aging buildings amidst tougher enforcement of quality-of-life issues, and the decline of the practice of using inns as so-called “welfare motels” for emergency housing purposes.

The Glendale Motel, Seaside Heights, N.J., Aug. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The motel property at 200 Ocean Terrace, Seaside Heights, N.J., where redevelopment is under consideration. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A rough outline of the proposal envisions a 180-room hotel at 200 Ocean Terrace, which is now the site of the Surfside Motel, which according to county property records was built in 1971 and encompasses a 24,000 square-foot parcel which consists of three lots. According to the redevelopment proposal, the new hotel would also encompass the site of the Glendale Motel, which was built in 1971 and consists of two parcels measure 80-by-100 feet and 107-by-100 feet.

The Seaside Heights borough council authorized a study of the properties in question in May, which has now been completed. Under New Jersey’s land use statutes, the planning board will conduct a hearing on the results of that study, and make a recommendation to the council. If the board recommends the redevelopment designation, the council would conduct another vote to adopt the plan.

The board will hear the report at its Aug. 28, 2023 meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. in the council chambers above the firehouse at 116 Sherman Avenue.