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The Asbury Park Housing Authority has announced phase two of the Boston Way demolition is set to begin.

“We are glad to be getting underway,” Chief of Staff Daniel Gibson Jr said. “The asbestos is out and we are ready to take the building down now.”

The $28 million project, located at Memorial Drive and Sylvan Way, marks more than the redevelopment of a long vacant Asbury Park Housing Authority [APHA] complex, but also the start of revitalization in the southwest neighborhood. The redevelopment plans feature 21 one-bedroom, 62 two-bedroom, and 21 three-bedroom units. Former Asbury Park Interim Housing Authority Director Tyrone Garrett has said the units will be mixed income rentals.

Garrett, who served as head of the local, Long Branch and Red Bank Housing Authorities started a job this week as Executive Director of the District of Columbia Housing Authority.

“Although I’m conflicted, I’m happy he is moving on to better thing for him and his family,” Housing Authority Chairman Greg Hopson said. “I’m confident that the staff that is still here can do the job just as well because our relationship between Asbury Park Housing Authority and Long Branch Housing Authority was not based on person but on two agencies.”

Former Housing Authority Assistant Comptroller Thomas Sahlin has been named Interim Executive Director, Gibson said.

Demolition equipment is now being mobilized to the site, which will be fenced in, Gibson said. No road closures or detours are expected during the buildings’ razing, which will last for a few weeks.

“The Michaels group is out working adjacent to our site,” Gibson said. “Once we start construction, redeveloping the site, we will be blocking off the streets.”

The work will include knocking down the building, removing footings and foundation walls, grinding up masonry materials for use in back-filling the excavated holes so the site can be leveled. Since there will be no basement level, a slab foundation will be constructed before the vertical framing work begins.

Workforce Development play an important role in the redevelopment, Gibson said.

To that end, Sahlin, joined Gibson, Hopson, and Vice-Chairman Frank Syphax last week for a preconstruction meeting at the State Housing Mortgage and Finance Agency Headquarters in Trenton.

The meeting resulting in finalizing all outstanding issues regarding the Section 3 participation and wage rates for the project, Gibson said.

Vacated in 2014, a $12.3 million federal Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Superstorm Sandy Relief Community Development Block Grant will help fund the project, headed by Jersey City-based Metro Company and Fort Lee-based Alpert Group.

HUD’s Section 3 regulations mandate that ‘to the greatest extent possible, a project must provide job training, employment, and contract opportunities for low- or very-low income residents.’

“The chairman [Hopson] determined that this community will participate in this project,” Gibson said. “We will have as many folks from this community working on that job as possible.”

Gibson said the Housing Authority has a list of of local contractors and laborers who expressed interest during their Nov 9 open all meeting.

“We are submitting their names to the developer for sub contracting considerations,” he said. “We want to give these men and women a chance to bid for whatever specialties they represent and intend to put laborers and skilled workers on this job.”

The Boston Way redevelopment is slated for a February 2019 completion.

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