Agree completely. Condos are great as part of a healthy mix - but
you can't be half in with a plan to drive retail and entertainment.
either you invest in places for people to stay and enjoy or people
will go where those exist, dooming the retail and entertainment to
failure.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, James Keady <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> Friends of Asbury Park:
>
> In the past day or so a number of people have been posting to one
of the
> local listserves here in Asbury Park about tourism and our City.
In light of
> what has been written, and also in light of the new life Madison
Marquette
> has brought to our waterfront, I thought I would repost a portion
of "The
> Keady Report" from January 2006 that speaks to this topic. I offer
it to
> keep alive the current conversation about refocusing our efforts to
> establish Asbury Park as THE premier tourist destination on the
Jersey
> Shore. As you read, I ask you to take particular note of the
statistic about
> accommodations. Asbury Park will need hotels and guest houses to
capture
> these tourist dollars. A bedroom condo community will not serve
this
> purpose.
> ______________________________________________________________
>
> Re-focusing on Tourism:
>
> In preparations for the January 27th meeting with Asbury Partners
I did some
> cursory research on tourism in New Jersey. I undertook this
research because
> in my gut I just did not believe the argument that Asbury Partners
and our
> own Redevelopment Attorney, Jim Aaron, were making that "retail
> redevelopment must always be preceded by significant residential
development
> for it to be successful." This was one of the defenses for Asbury
Partners
> lack of action on the boardwalk properties. They were basically
saying that
> there needed to be more people living near the boardwalk to make
the
> properties commercially viable. I did not buy it when they first
said it and
> now that I have some numbers to back up my gut feeling, I am quite
confident
> in my position.
>
> The simple fact is that we have one mile of beautiful beaches and
that if we
> create a safe, attractive boardwalk, there will be more than
enough tourism
> to support the investments made to redevelop the Pavilions,
Conventional
> Hall, the Paramount Theater and the Casino Complex.
>
> To support my case, here are some facts from the NJ Commerce,
Economic
> Growth and Tourism Commission.
>
> * The economic impact of the Travel and Tourism Industry in New
Jersey
> contributes $30 billion dollars in economic activity each year and
creates
> 416,000 jobs.
>
> * In 2003, 65 million people visited New Jersey and tourism
generated $2.9
> billion in state and local government revenues.
>
> * Of the dollars spent on tourism in New Jersey, accommodations
account for
> the largest share (37%), followed by food (26%), shopping (16%),
> transportation (10%) and entertainment (7%).
>
> * Nowhere is the impact of the Travel and Tourism industry more
evident than
> at the JERSEY SHORE. The four counties that make up the Shore
(Atlantic,
> Cape May, Monmouth and Ocean) account for more than 72% or $21.6
billion in
> annual economic activity.
>
> Could you imagine if Asbury Park were able to garner just 5% of
the travel
> and tourism industry in NJ? That would be an influx of
$1,500,000,000 into
> our local economy. This is why we need to seriously reconsider the
focus of
> our efforts on the oceanfront and maximize our beaches, our brand
name and
> our music history to create a first class tourist destination.
> ________________________________________________________________
>
> For your convenience, I have posted this on my blog at
> www.keadyreport.blogspot.com.
>
> I look forward to reading your comments and I hope this finds you
well.
>
> Peace, JWK
>
> Councilman James W. Keady
> 1 Municipal Plaza
> Asbury Park, NJ 07712
> TEL: 732.502.5196
> EM: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> www.cityofasburypark.com
>
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