An industrial building that has stood in Asbury Park for almost a century could soon meet the wrecking ball and be replaced by a modern development that would rise near the city’s train station.
Plans have been submitted to revitalize several parcels of land at 900-904 Springwood Avenue. A significant portion of the property falls along Memorial Avenue and is currently occupied by two long-vacant buildings, one of which served as home to the People’s Ice & Coal Co. for decades.
The Asbury Park structure housed an ice plant that was considered a state-of-the-art facility when it opened in 1932, but both buildings on the site have been vacant for over two decades per reporting from NJ Advance Media. The property, which backs up to NJ Transit’s train tracks, was the site of a 2017 fire and has seen little activity since.
Ownership is registered out of a private home in Lakewood, but a company based out of Mountaindale, Yew York has submitted an application to redevelop the land. Designed by Hoboken-based MVMK Architecture + Design, the proposed structure would rise four stories at the highest point and cover 77% of the property.
The first floor of the 92-unit development would consist of 110 parking spaces and 4,075 square feet of retail space split between three storefronts. The two largest spaces would be situated along Springwood Avenue, while the final one would be located along Memorial Avenue.
The units in the building would break down as 21 studios, 26 one-bedrooms, 41 two-bedrooms, and four three-bedroom spaces. Unlike many developments in Asbury Park, this one would set aside over 20% of their units as affordable housing, as a mix of 19 apartments would be designated as such.
The second floor of the proposed development would sport 7,798 square feet of office space overlooking the Memorial Avenue side of the property, while two common terraces each spanning about 1,600-square feet would be situated on the rear of the building’s second story.
The roof of the building is also slated to get use, as the proposal includes a 3,445-square-foot common room deck plus 3,765-square feet of indoor amenity space. The developer has proposed an exterior consisting mostly of Roman-style red brick masonry and white ACH panels.
The proposal requires two variances related to loading spaces included in the plan and the development’s minimum rear yard setback. The planning board is slated to hear the project’s application during their April 18 meeting, which is being held inside Asbury Park’s City Hall and kicks off at 7:00 p.m.
