Below is an excerpt of an email I sent to one of the council members
on 2/3/2006. It WAS NOT Jim Keady, but one of the redevelopment
subcommittee.
"Whether you take the Casino, et al back from Asbury Partners or
dictate control, its rehabiliation and re-use should be put out in
an RFP and a design competition held, much like was done for the WTC
memorial. The RFP would dictate the required uses (entertainment,
cultural and recreationl, for instance) and design guidelines."
Thus, I suggested a month ago, before negotitations, that a design
competition be held for our waterfront buildings. Now I see the
Coaster has a story in this week's issue that that is exactly what
is being suggested by members of the Planning Board. I guess great
minds think alike.
Asbury Park Planners Suggest Contest for New Waterfront
By GARRETT STASSE
There could be a global architectural contest to redevelop Asbury
Park's waterfront.
Tired of what they said was unsatisfactory design and other
problems, two Asbury Park Planning Board members called for a two-
phase competition to encourage architecture's best and brightest to
devise plans for how to redo the district, including the
historically important Convention Hall, the Casino and other
buildings.
Board members and city officials have been sharply critical of the
pace of waterfront redevelopment and have been looking for ways to
get Master Developer Asbury Partners to get moving. Board members
have said they were displeased at some of the designs and plans they
have seen, so two of them, Matthew Berman and Sara Ann Towery,
devised the competition.
They are members of the board's design review committee which
reviews architectural plans. Neither would say which proposals
disappointed them. Towery said the board "is frustrated with the
piecemeal buildings we're getting. They don't relate to each other
at all.
"Quite frankly I haven't seen anything that great."
"We've spent a lot of time discussing Asbury Park's development,"
Berman said. "We're standing at a crossroadsÂ… I'm so disappointed
with what's going on so far."
He said he wants "iconic architectural masterpieces" that would last
for decades and define a new improved city. The historic structures
would be restored but new buildings would have to complement them to
create a cohesive zone, he said.
The contest would be in two phases, one for ideas, and the other for
the actual work. Winning designers would oversee local or regional
architects who would probably do much of the work.
"Competition would bring a lot of interest to the city," Towery
said. "Architectural magazines really jump on these competitions and
I think we'll have worldwide interest."
Berman conceded the competition, which could begin in August, would
likely delay redevelopment and require developers to agree to the
designs. That prompted board member Rev. David Parreott to say he
had reservations about anything that would slow the revival even
more.
"I'm concerned this is going to cost the city time and money," he
said.
Board member John Lofredo, who is also a city councilman, questioned
the timing.
"This could affect the timeline of what's going on right now," he
said, referring to developer efforts to build along the waterfront.
Berman said the contest would not affect what's going on now but
could help the city hold builders to higher standards.
"We want to make sure the city gets what it deserves," he
said. "Developers over the last few years haven't demonstrated
they're going to leave something desirable after they're gone."
The board approved letting them pursue the contest.
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