SEASIDE PARK – New buildings, kiosks, and public restrooms are currently being built on the south end of the boardwalk, officials said. They are scheduled to open for the summer season.
There are seven new buildings being built, Mayor Robert Matthies said. One of them will be public restrooms. The content of the other six buildings have not been finalized yet, and the borough has not received anything concrete in the way of a mercantile license.
The buildings will be built with a center walking area between them, and 15-foot-by-30-foot kiosks will be in the middle, he said. The kiosks will also be on the township’s easement, which allows entry to the boardwalk. The owner, the D’Onofrio family, told the governing body that the stores and kiosks will be the kinds of food, stores and games that would traditionally be seen on the boardwalk.
This construction is a rebuild from the fire in 2013 that destroyed much of the boardwalk. The building containing the Sawmill suffered some damage, but survived due to a sprinkler system and because of how the wind blew. The Sawmill will serve as an anchor for the new developments.
The portion of the boardwalk that is in Seaside Park is only a few blocks, from Porter to Stockton avenues. The construction going on now is on the western edge of the boardwalk to Ocean Avenue.
Before the fire, the south end of the boardwalk had a different layout than the Seaside Heights side, he said. It widened out, and walkers could go two ways. With the new layout, it will be just one walkway that will be a continuation from the Seaside Heights boardwalk.
As long as the weather is favorable, the developer hopes to have the construction completed by the end of May, he said. The borough is looking forward to getting more amenities for residents and visitors, as well as getting these buildings on the tax roll.
Meanwhile, in Seaside Heights, there will be new amusements at Casino Pier, including a new roller coaster and Ferris Wheel.
“I think it will have a very positive impact on summer 2017,” Seaside Heights Business Administrator Christopher Vaz said.
Regarding the new boardwalk construction in his neighbor, Seaside Park, Vaz added that he was happy to see something being constructed on the southern end. The success of the boardwalk in one town can only add to the success of the other.
