|
FOR SALE: Civic Plaza And Foodtown Sites
By Catherine Galioto
Want to buy a dilapidated Foodtown site that's been closed for years?
You'd join 27 other interested buyers for the waterfront former grocery store if you did.
The owner of the site is Brick Township. The site in question is the abandoned FoodTown, located at Route 70 and Brick Boulevard, bought several years ago in part in an effort to block the construction of a Home Depot. At one point, it was considered a prime location for a muchdiscussed community center.
Now, the site is once again on the market.
The township is also selling the Civic Plaza, located on Chambers Bridge Road. That site has 29 interested buyers, Councilwoman Ruthanne Scaturro said.
In front of the two properties, the township has erected large "for sale" signs, urging possible buyers to contact Township Administrator Scott Pezarras. It has been several weeks since the signs went up.
Pezarras said the township has not decided what its asking price will be for the two sites, nor how the township will accept offers. There are advantages to an auction or bid style. An auction can be more of a feeding frenzy, Pezarras said. At the moment, offi- cials are simply testing market interest.
More than 50 calls about the two properties have been received. Both sites are commercially zoned on major roads in the township. While Civic Plaza, which resembles a multistorefront strip mall, is currently in use on Chambers Bridge Road and in good condition, Foodtown is not, Pezarras said.
The reason for selling the properties are many, said Council President Stephen Acropolis. A sale would put both sites back on the tax rolls. In addition, the township will no longer have to pay to oversee the sites. Also, services that currently exist in Civic Plaza can be moved to another location in order to consolidate township services.
Acropolis hopes proceeds from the land sales will offset the cost of buying another property, the Ocean Ice Palace and its surrounding 13 acres. He argues the Civic Plaza offices could move to this site. In addition, the site could house a senior center, recreation and a community center.
So far, the cost to purchase the Ice Palace tract would be $5.4 million.
But what if the township has a buyer for Civic Plaza before new homes for the offices there are found?
Acropolis said that won't happen. No one will move out of Civic Plaza until a new location is in place.
Still, some residents urged the township to move slowly on the sale of Civic Plaza.
"This is a great property and a great location," said resident Nan Coll. "Don't be quick to get rid of it."
Civic Plaza is within a short distance to the library and schools, she said. These things could all compliment each other.
In contrast, the Foodtown site should have been off the township-owned property list by now. It can't be sold quick enough, as far as Coll is concerned.
| 
