In most parts of the world you pay money to buy land.
In Lakewood, it seems, you get free land and then you get free money also.
Back in 2017, there was a 1.71 acres Township-owned lot at 20 4th Street, adjacent to the Kikar Shabbos shopping center, which included a community center, playground and basketball court.
In April 2017, the Township Committee transferred ownership of the property to the Lakewood Development Corporation (LDC). LDC is an arm of the Township. Transferring Township property via the LDC permits the Township to sell the property to a third party for $1 instead of the usual way of selling the property at a public auction to the highest bidder.
The full agreement between BRR and LDC was subsequently signed in February 2018.
That agreement discusses 3 separate lots, which were owned by these 2 parties:
LDC owned
1) 301 Monmouth Avenue, Block 160 Lot 1.03
2) 20 4th Street, Block 161 Lot 2
BRR owned
3) 305 Monmouth Avenue, Block 160 Lot 1.02
The plan was for LDC to give their 2 lots to BRR, and for BRR to demolish the mixed-use building that was on their own lot, (305 Monmouth Avenue) and to construct a public parking lot with appropriate lighting, as well as to complete improvements to the parking lot on the LDC property (301 Monmouth Avenue) by installing lighting fixtures and adding parking spaces. Both of these properties were to be dedicated for public parking use for the land in perpetuity.
The agreement does not specify what BRR would build on the community center lot (20 4th Street) rather it stated that BRR would receive this lot and all structures thereon in its "as-is" condition.
The give back to the Township was that they would build a new community center at John Patrick park and they would maintain the original community center until completion of construction of the new community center.
In the meantime, Township officials got busy planning construction of a new building for the planning, engineering, inspection, and code enforcement departments which are currently housed at 212 4th Street. The new building is to be located on America Avenue near the Public Works complex. In September 2020, the Township took a $2 million bond for construction of this new inspection department building.
In November 2020, just before the onset of the winter when the community center would be used as the Township's Code Blue homeless shelter, the Township's Inspection Department mysteriously appeared and determined the community center to be "hazardous" and they shuttered its doors. Boom!
At the same time, the new owners of the community center ever so quietly struck a brand new deal with the Township: In lieu of constructing a new community center at John Patrick park - and importantly, waiting until the new community center is constructed prior to demolishing the original community center - the developers will instead agree to construct the new inspection department building.
An agreement was drafted that states that BRR needs to commence construction within one year of signing the agreement. However, they never actually signed this agreement, therefore the time clock has not yet begun.
Viola!
In the meantime, the expansion of the Kikar Shabbos shopping center has been completed, with nary a shovel in sight at the pinky promised construction building project.
But - the best is yet to come!
The Township Committee on Thursday afternoon unanimously voted to introduce an Ordinance to grant a 5 year tax abatement to the shopping center expansion!
By the way, fun fact: The Planning Board approved the Site Plan for the expansion of the Kikar Shabbos shopping center in July 2021. Numerous neighbors opposed the application. As part of their opposition, the neighbors expressed hurt that their public park was eliminated to make way for the shopping center expansion.
At the time, Mayor Ray Coles assured the neighbors that he would assist in brokering an agreement to replace their eliminated park.
Provisions for a park were finally set in August 2022.
There was a public right-of-way called Steckler Street which then ran through a small portion of the future shopping center expansion. The Township Committee formally vacated a this right-of-way to permit for additional parking for the shopping center. At the same time, the Committee formally accepted from BRR a dedication of a triangular-shaped, approximately 1,000 sq feet easement for the purpose of the Township constructing a public pocket park thereon.
Since that time, its just been "swinging and sliding" with no pocket park yet spotted.
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