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As the downtown corridor’s revitalization continues to offer residents and visitors new shops and dining experiences, local organizers are working to create a fitting homage a patch of land at the corner of Main Street and Cookman Avenue.

Fittingly named Merchant’s Park, the odd shaped lot, left neglected for years, will be transformed into a gateway to the historic downtown corridor, organizers say.

But to do so, they are asking for the community’s help through a recently launched Gofundme campaign.

The Asbury Park Downtown Merchant’s Guild and the Asbury Park Environment and Shade Tree Commission are spearheading the multi-phased $5,000 project.

“Our goal is to establish a natural gateway to the down town,” said Mike Sodano of the Merchant’s Guild. “That corner is seen by thousands of people every month, whether when stopped at a traffic light or entering town from the train station or from Route 71. Asbury has all these iconic places to take pictures; we want this to be just as iconic as The Carousel or the Paramount in Convention Hall.”

But the road to transformation has been filled with blighted trees and unplantable soil.

With the help of the municipality’s Department of Public Works, all but one of the blighted trees were removed. Next came the placement of jetty rocks, a donation by waterfront redeveloper iStar Financial.

“It provides the start of a natural boundary of the park on the east side,” Asbury Park Environment and Shade Tree Commission’s Tom Pivinski said.

Now the groups are readying for soil tilling and restoration.

We’ll be adding mulch and establishing the starter plants before the season turns on us,” Pivinski said.

In the end, the blighted trees will be replaced and an art installation [preferably a mural or sculpture by a local artist] will showcased. The total transformation should take no longer than two years but is dependent on funding, organizers say.

“Asbury Park is art and music and with the great murals that have been started down toward the boardwalk we want to continue all of that,” Sodano said. “This is a grassroots effort but things do cost money. We are hoping to raise the funds between all the merchants and community members that can see the value of donating to a piece of Asbury Park that they can walk around in, park their bikes, sit or just gather.”

For more information, visit http://www.gofundme.com/MerchantsPark.

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