Toms River seeking to buy $2.8 Million Oceanfront Eyesore for $8 Million – Shore News Magazine
TOMS RIVER, NJ – Joey Harrison’s Surf Club was destroyed eight years ago during Superstorm Sandy and has been a vacant and abandoned eyesore in Ortley Beach ever since. Now, the township of Toms River, led by Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill and Maria Maruca is working to purchase the beachfront property for $8.2 million. After the destruction of the former nightclub and bar, owner Joey Barcelona, who now lives in Miami, Florida challenged the township with a property tax appeal and won. That appeal, which Barcelona’s lawyer fought hard to win, values the land at just $1.8 million according to township tax records. The adjoining property north of the former Surf Club site has been assessed by the township at $870,000.
Now, Barcelona wants the town to pay him $8.2 million for the property. Barcelona rejected an offer by the township for $7,000,000, but through a sketchy land swap with the county, township officials are hoping the Board of Chosen Freeholders can make up the financial gap. Initially, Toms River sought to sell off useless preserved property it owns near Cattus Island and Ocean County College to the county to fund the difference. That sale was to take place back and June before Freeholders realized the land deal, proposed by Hill and Maruca may violate Green Acres funding regulations.
Once the township buys the land for $7,000,000, Mo Hill wants to finish the demolition on the site, expected to be around $1,000,000 additional, and build a boardwalk extension. The land has sat vacant for nearly a decade now and Barcelona has not been able to sell the property to developers due to the state’s CAFRA restrictions on the property. Now, the township is ready to give Barcelona nearly four times the property’s assessed value.
Toms River will receive $6.6 million in funding from the State of New Jersey for the purchase. The County will meet on Wednesday and decide whether or not to foot the bill on Oceanfront property. Whether or not the county can use open space funding legally to purchase land that is already protected by a municipality remains to be seen. At this point, many feel that the purchase is a last-ditch effort for Maria Maruca to help an old friend, Barcelona, out of a financial pickle, since his land is nearly worthless due to new environmental regulations that would limit what could be built in place of the former Surf Club.
The Ocean County Board of Freeholders will meet Wednesday at 4 p.m. to discuss purchasing Mo Hill’s township properties to help the Mayor, who is dealing with his own budget crisis seal the deal.
