JAMS Performing Arts Center Remains On Hold
Officials: No approvals or new project plans have been submitted
A Tuesday report revealing JAMS Performing Arts Center is based on an old submission, officials said.
The online report by a New York newsletter showed images of a plan submitted years ago, which has since been pulled from consideration.
The Interfaith Neighbors project was designed by Ocean Grove-based Shore Point Architecture but its founder Stephen Carlidge said he does not know how the New York entity obtained the former site design.
“While we have new plans at a different location, the images of the building [shown] is obsolete,” Carlidge said.
Assistant City Planner Barbara Van Wagner said no new plans have reached her office and Mayor John Moor, who sits on the Planning Board, also confirmed that there is a hold on the project.
Moor said while they met with Interfaith and its project officials to discuss a proposal close to 9 months ago, the project was pulled by the developer.
The renderings shown in the New York newsletter were designs pitched for the southwest corner of Memorial Drive and Springwood Avenue. But a location swap agreement was made with Michaels Group some years ago, resulting in new building plans. Michaels Group will be launching construction of its Renaissance housing complex in the area.
And while the JAMS project was moved to the northwest corner, city officials found that they did not own the land, therefore stalling the project or any other proposal for the site, Moor said.
“The land is tied to an estate,” Moor said. “It’s a matter of getting them to turnover the deed.”
Moor said the city has not said no to the JAMS Performing Arts Center but it will consider all proposals for the site.
“If we are building 400 units in that area, we will need amenities like a grocery store or something like that,” Moor said. “When we go back out for RFPs [Request For Proposals], we will have timelines build in so it doesn’t take seven years for a project to get built.”
Interfaith Neighbors Director of Real Estate Development Patrick Durkin said they will resubmit a proposal once the city issues a revised RFP. He was also taken off guard by the news report.
“This comes as news to me,” Durkin said. “We would love that to be the case but the project is not right around the corner, no matter what’s been said.”
JAMS, which stands for Jobs, Arts, Music, and Science, was pitched as not only a performing arts and gallery space, but with a training component to help engage youth and provide training opportunities and transferable skills.
“We would hope that at some point it would go forward,” Durkin said. “It would be a great anchor to a redeveloped Springwood corridor.”
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