TOMS RIVER – You might not even realize there’s an old, worn-down hotel on NJ 166, between Route 37 and Old Freehold Road.
The only thing visible from the street is the sign. Parkway Motel is advertised near a narrow driveway that takes you past a closed restaurant to the remnants of a one-floor motel that the township closed after determining it was unlivable.
Unfortunately, just because it didn’t meet safety standards didn’t mean people weren’t living there; 18 people were there when it closed. Drug activity was common there, but it was also a place for people who had nowhere else to go. When inspectors came in 2019, they found parts of the ceiling missing, mold, electrical hazards, and trash littering the property.
Currently, there is a plan to build a 79-room Avid hotel on the property. There is a hearing before the Planning Board scheduled for March 17. The Planning Board is the governmental body that approves what can be built in a location.
The hearing was originally scheduled for a December meeting but it was postponed. A competitor has hired an attorney to object to the project, officials said.
The Parkway Motel had been called the Americana Motel in the past. It was shut down by the town along with the Red Carpet Inn in the downtown area and the Pine Rest Motel on Route 37. This was part of a sweep done by the police, fire, and code officials to target dangerous living conditions and buildings that cater to illegal activity.
The township has designated Capodagli Property Co. as the redeveloper, according to the Asbury Park Press. “Redevelopment” is a technical term meaning that officials want what is there wiped clean and built up again – sometimes as something else. Designating an area in need of redevelopment opens the door to alternate funding options to entice builders in taking on expensive projects. Capodagli had also been named as a redeveloper for a few locations in downtown Toms River.
Its official address is 925 Route 166. The neighboring Hana restaurant is also shut down and for sale as part of the property.
Some have pointed out that the property would make an ideal transitional housing facility to help homeless people get back on their feet.
