Asbury Lanes to close for renovations in October
Who will handle future entertainment bookings to be determined
Asbury Lanes, the vintage bowling alley and live music venue will close for renovations in October, and waterfront redeveloper iStar Financial, which owns the building, is now in the process of deciding who will handle booking the entertainment when it reopens.
The lease for the building expires at the end of September, according to a spokesperson for iStar. Asbury restaurant owners Bob Fahey and Chris Fahey, along with Asbury developers Pat Fasano and Vince Gifford, are the current leaseholders.
Istar’s intention is to restore the building as close as possible to how it exists currently, as well as to preserve it as a music and entertainment venue, the spokesperson said.
Who will book the music and events, as well as the designer who will handle the restoration, are still to be determined, the spokesperson said. Jenn Hampton, who currently handles the music and event bookings, will be considered to continue in some capacity, as will other eligible people and entities who book such programming, the spokesperson confirmed.
“I hope they will build upon what we’ve built here,” said Hampton. “We provide a different approach for people looking for something that’s alternative, a different experience.”
Hampton would like to continue to book music and events at Asbury Lanes once the rehabilitation is completed. “I look forward to talking to iStar about the possibility,” she said.
The time frame under which the renovations will be completed, as well as the reopening of the venue, are to be determined, according to the spokesperson. Also to be determined, once the design professionals are brought on board, are the specifics of how the restorations are to be undertaken, the spokesperson said.
Istar is rehabilitating the former Salvation Army building on the same block into a 110 room boutique hotel [shown to the rear of Asbury Lanes in the photo above]. The building and Asbury Lanes are adjacent to each other and iStar plans to connect the buildings with a walkway, as well as extend the liquor license from the hotel into Asbury Lanes.
Asbury Lanes was built in the early 1960s and owned by the Ayles family until recent years. About a decade ago, Meldon Stultz took over operations and changed it into a live music venue while preserving the bowling. Stultz, who is also known for organizing the Race of Gentlemen featuring vintage hotrods and motorcycles on the beach in Wildwood, is no longer part of the operations at Asbury Lanes.
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