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iStar, Asbury Park’s master waterfront redeveloper, will move forward with plans to build an oceanfront beach club, according to a news statement released Wednesday afternoon.

The publicly traded company submitted plans to the City Wednesday for its one-story club to be located on Ocean Avenue between Sixth and Seventh avenues.

The project will boast a thoughtful and environmentally friendly design, features a large pool, cabanas, restrooms, lockers, and an outdoor grill area for food service on the ground floor as well as a small rooftop deck, complete with a seating area, iStar Senior Vice President of Land Development Brian Cheripka said.

“We are excited to unveil the project to the public and begin the review process,” Cheripka said. “Asbury Park is a remarkable community with a special character and history. iStar is proud to play a leading role in its renaissance by continuing to bring forward award-winning development projects.” 

The amenity was a sticking point the grassroots Save Asbury’s Waterfront [SAW] group used last month when asking the City Council to stay an infrastructure redevelopment project along the waterfront. That project features a CAFRA approved meandering boardwalk and upgrade to the commonly known Fisherman’s parking lot, which is owned by the City. 

Despite comments that the beach club would be a private amenity, Cheripka said memberships will be available for sale to the general public. The beach club will be built entirely on private property and will maintain all existing public beach access points. 

In an effort to further enhance access to the future boardwalk, a new public walkway will be added at Seventh Avenue, Cheripka said. The entire beach will  remain open to the public and under the control of the City of Asbury Park. 

Spearheaded by iStar’s creative lead Anda Andrei, in conjunction with Handel Architects, the the architect behind the nearby Asbury Ocean Club high rise currently underway, the project pays tribute to the area’s history as a beach and bathing club during the mid-1900’s, project Cheripka said. 

During the design process, iStar met with members of the local community to discuss the project and made adjustments to the proposed plan based on the feedback, which includes reducing the height of the building from two stories to one, thereby placing its height below the existing amenity deck of the North Beach condominium located across the street. 

Wednesday’s filing means the project will now undergo official public and governmental review, beginning with vetting from the City Technical Review Committee before moving on to the City Council and Planning Board for site plan approval.  As designed, the proposed beach club is fully compliant with all local and State requirements, Cheripka said. 

“iStar remains committed to working with the community to hear their input and to develop a vision for the north end public boardwalk improvements,” Cheripka said. “As part of this dialogue, we are focused on finding a solution that includes the preservation of Bradley Cove.”

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