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Asbury Park’s master waterfront redeveloper iStar has released a closer look inside its Asbury Ocean Club Surfside Resort & Residences.

The images and new website falls in line with what was a planned Summer 2018 sales launch and, for the first time, we hear directly from award-winning global architect Gary Handel and designer Anda Andrei.

The 17-story Asbury Ocean Club, with its sweeping vistas, has been designed to both reflect its environment and enhance it, Handel said.

“We took on a beach house vernacular that’s open, light, and airy, and we kept materials simple — concrete and glass with wood accents,” Handel said in a written statement. “Balconies extend out to accentuate the horizontal quality of the views. We then added a gentle curvature to the building to reflect the shoreline.”

Branded as an oasis that will transport the mind, body, and soul in this city by the sea, Asbury Ocean Club aims to enhance effortless, resort-style living with unprecedented and unparalleled services and amenities.

Andrei, whose talents were unveiled locally through her work on The Asbury and Asbury Lanes, said, ‘it’s all about the view.’

“It’s impossible to find a place that’s so close to New York City, on the ocean, with incredible, architecturally significant buildings, amazing history and soul, and a major music scene,” she said. “With Asbury Ocean Club, we’re striking a beautiful balance that’s true to oceanfront living – luxurious without being pretentious, relaxed yet chic – the elegance of timeless materials in a modern and contemporary setting. It’s different from anything in the region, the building feels like it belongs on this beach.”

The luxury experience starts in a dramatic, double-height lobby, anchored by a reception desk set against polished custom concrete and slatted oak walls, officials said.

The homes offer one- to three-bedrooms options with oceanfront east-facing terraces that wrap either north or south. Two penthouses will boast more expansive kitchen and living areas, including rooftop terraces with outdoor kitchens, complete with living and dining space.

Every unit boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, and includes top-tier amenities, such as:

     All-Miele kitchen appliances, as well as washer and dryer

     White lacquered custom cabinetry by Spazzi of Italy

     Wide-plank, bleached oak engineered hardwood flooring

     Engineered stone countertops

     Hansgrohe kitchen and bath fixtures

     Polished porcelain Marvel Calacatta walls in bathrooms

     Walk-in rain showers

The residences sit atop a 54-room boutique hotel, that will be operated by David Bowd of Salt Hotels [Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, Mercer in New York, and the Chiltern Firehouse in London]. Bowd is also a partner in and operator of The Asbury.

Hotel guests will share the fourth floor located public indoor and outdoor spaces with residents, including an expansive terrace, complete with a 65’ x 30’ pool overlooking the ocean; a full-service pool bar and grill; a garden pavilion; and an outdoor lounge with fireplace, furthering the developers edict to invite visitors into the local experience.

The ground floor will house a yet to be announced curated upscale retail center.

Residential amenities also include an ocean-view fitness center programmed by New York’s bespoke-fitness brand The Wright Fit; a yoga room with sun-warmed meditation terrace; and a spa with on-call massage, mani/pedis, and relaxation rooms.

There will also be year round dedicated children’s facilities, entertainment and meeting spaces, and a 12-seat cinema screening room. The residential concierge will be available 24/7 to help with everything from purchasing groceries and making dinner reservations to wrangling concert tickets.

Homeowners will have access to a dog wash for those sandy paws and storage rooms for paddle boards and surfboards. Its library and game room will boast a custom billiards installation for residents and their guests, and an exclusive event room will include a demonstration kitchen.

And as for that much debated members only beach, officials said residents will get to enjoy the private beach club featuring a pool, cabanas, bar and grill, restrooms and changing facilities by 2020.

“Asbury Ocean Club is for a new generation that wants to embrace this town and wants to make a life there,” Andrei said in a promotional video. “It’s almost like a legacy not to destroy the soul of this place.”

Asbury Ocean Club, on schedule for a Spring 2019 completion, will be iStar’s crown jewel, officials have said.

The $35 billion publicly traded real-estate investment and development firm [NYSE: STAR] is led by Chief Executive Officer Jay Sugarman who has said the project not only symbolizes the strength of the team but the of the community.

“It represents this marriage between the great history of Asbury Park and the exciting future that you are all a part of,” Sugarman said. “Ten years ago when we started some of these projects people thought we were crazy. This is the day we can look at that white steel beam and  realize how far we have come and what we have been able to build in that 10 years. We have taken 40 years of neglect and turned it into a very exciting future for families of Asbury Park and the people of the tri state region. This is just the beginning of the great future of Asbury Park.”

iStar owns 35 acres in the city’s waterfront and has invested over $300 million thus far. They have outlined a 10-year, multi-billion-dollar redevelopment plan for the 1.25-mile stretch along the waterfront.

Thus far, the developer has won international acclaim for The Asbury, the city’s first hotel and entertainment venue of its kind in over 50 years, including America’s Best New Hotel by USA Today and the It List  by Travel + Leisure. They are also the force behind Monroe, a 34 unit condominium designed by Oppenheim Architects, and the newly reopened Asbury Lanes, the state-of-the-art bowling alley and music venue programmed by The Bowery Presents. Bruce Springsteen and Portugal. The Man christened the venue during a grand reopening concert on June 18.

The Asbury Ocean Club home sales and marketing initiatives is being handled by Corcoran Sunshine, led by Senior Managing Director Jodi Stasse. The sales information center is now open, with pricing for one-bedroom units starting at $900K.

For more information, call 732.705.1100 or visit asburyoceanclub.com.

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The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

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