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TOWN AIMS FOR SUMMER PURCHASE OF OCEAN ICE PALACE
By Keith Hagarty
 | | --Photo By Eric San Juan The Ocean Ice Palace on Chambers Bridge Road may finally be ready for purchase. |
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Plans for a community center could get underway in the coming months, as township officials are hoping to purchase the Ocean Ice Palace property by this summer.
The township is prepared to spend upwards of $5.2 million to buy the ice rink, pools, buildings and fields on the 13.34-acre parcel on Chambers Bridge Road.
Envisioned by township officials for a number of years, if successful, the redevelopment project would involve transforming the facility into a community center for recreation, senior services and other amenities.
At this week's council meeting, Councilwoman Kathy Russell asked Township Manager Scott Pezzeras for clarification regarding the possible $5.2 million designated for the bonded purchase price of the property, as well as an additional $9.9 million in bonding which may also be used for the site.
However, Mayor Stephen Acropolis stepped in, explaining that the additional $9.9 million has nothing to do with the actual purchase price of the property, and would instead be associated with any potential redevelopment plan should the town eventually decide to move in that direction.
"It's always been the amount of money ($9.9 million) potentially financed if we got through with the purchase," said Acropolis. "In order to even attempt to sign a contract, or enter into those negotiations to sign a contract, you have to authorize the bonds to be issued- not issuing them right now- but just the authorization."
The local finance board requires such formal authorization, the mayor added.
"If you don't have that authorization, you can't go in and even negotiate," said Acropolis. "So the $5.2 million price of that (property purchase) has not changed."
Acropolis further explained that the additional $9.9 million figure for a redevelopment plan is still categorized as "potential" and subject to change, as the council was recently presented with a conceptual plan of possible design options for a renovated Ocean Ice Palace site.
"That plan is just that- conceptual," he said. "It has no basis of real fact, because we don't know what's really going to go there because (the public) has not told us what they would like to see there, or not want to see there."
After the sale of the property, before moving forward, the town announced it would hold an open public forum to hear the residents' opinions on what kind of amenities they would like to see provided.
In addition to an ice rink, the site also currently has a dormitory facility and Olympicsized pool.
Acropolis and the council agree that the purchase and redevelopment of the site would be a positive move for the town in providing an additional revenue stream.
"Toms River and other towns like that have done things like the Rittaco Center, which is generating I guess at least a couple hundred thousand dollars a year back to the board of education budget," said Acropolis. He said the redeveloped property has the potential of bringing in upwards of $800,000 a year to the town.
"I know our board of education has talked about doing something with their buildings, such as a day care center (at the soon to be close Primary Learning Center), and if we don't start looking at ways to generate revenue in this town, we're going to be in big, big trouble in the future," he said, "because you're only going to run this government on the backs of the taxpayers- and those days need to be over."
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