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Food trucks, a public art gallery and new vendors are all a part of an immediate plan to revamp the municipal-owned Transportation Center, located at the corner of Main Street and Springwood Avenue.

In a presentation to the City Council Wednesday, Planning and Redevelopment Director Michele Alonso said the plan was launched in part because of the success High Voltage Cafe has had at that corner.

“With the success of High Voltage where it is, we were thinking, wouldn’t it be great if the Transportation Center became a destination,” she said.

High Voltage Cafe launched in 2015 on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. A second location opened this past year at the corner of Springwood Avenue and Main Street inside Cowerks and Second Life Bike’s Junction Hall.

The Eastern European inspired eatery expanded its offerings at the Main Street location to include health-conscious bodega style items. The cafe is the brainchild of Sonia Jozajtis and Jason Thomson, who also run lifestyle brand Nomad Asbury and glamping company Wanderland Popup Hotel.

“Ultimately, I think it’s a good thing,” Thomson said of the city’s plan. “I think it would help bring more attention to this part of Springwood and would help put a spotlight on this corridor as a new gateway to westside.”

The plan, in its nascent stage of development, would be activated through a three prong approach, Alonso said. The focus would begin inward before moving to a revamp of the exterior and the addition of public art.

With a goal of making the transportation center a destination place in its own right, Alonso said they would open up vendor opportunities; thereby giving retailers who may want to open in the city, but cannot find space in the downtown or the waterfront, a way to launch locally.

The expansion would include keeping the Transportation Center open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Monday. They would allow vendors to be creative in terms of their use of the space at a proposed rate of $20 per square feet.

Moving outward, the proposal calls for a mini food truck court, fashioned off of Madison Marquette’s North Eats food court on the AP Boardwalk. Alonso said the food trucks fill a need to offer a hot food option at the train station without having to alter the structure to provide venting.

The food trucks would commit to set hours – staying open from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a possible Sunday market option, from Memorial Day to the week following Labor Day.

“These hours capture a dual audience,” Alonso said. “Those arriving and leaving Asbury Park by train and those wishing to get food when most restaurants are closed.”

The late night food option would help move bar patrons away from the downtown toward the train station and existing taxi stand, she said.

Lastly, the city would look to grow a public art presence at the train station.

“We would like to improve the look of the Transportation Center with public art,” Alonso said.

The art would be placed on the inside and outside, with artwork also hanging from the ceiling inside, she said. She referenced public art murals at Chicago and London transit stations.  

The vendor leases would cover the costs of expanding the hours and operations, with a tenant responsible for picking up any costs for minor renovations, she said.

Alonso said the city continues to vet requests for proposals [RFPs] on the larger scale plan to transform the structure into a mixed use complex that features residential units, commercial space, a parking garage, and rooftop rain garden.

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