Asbury Park Mayoral Candidate Sciannameo Skeptical Of Plans To Renovate, Reopen Convention Hall

ASBURY PARK, NJ — Dan Sciannameo, an Asbury Park Planning Board member who is running for mayor, said the city and state are rushing through the renovation of Convention Hall to help his rival, Amy Quinn, get elected.

Madison Marquette is the real estate development company that owns Convention Hall, a 97-year-old colossal, derelict building on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

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The building was used as a performing arts center in the 1920s, but it closed in 2021, with the city saying it was unsafe for human occupancy.

Last week, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced it awarded Madison Marquette $75 million in tax breaks to renovate Convention Hall. Madison Marquette-Asbury CEO Gary Mottola said he plans to reopen it as a performing arts center once again.

Madison Marquette is applying for more tax credits, and a lawyer for Asbury Park previously said getting these tax credits is "the clearest and most present" way for Convention Hall to ever reopen.

But Sciannameo said the state awarded those $75 million in tax breaks in secret.

"There was never a special presentation about the details of this particular tax credit application," he said. "And now all of a sudden what's the rush to get this approved? The decision to award the tax credits was rushed for political reasons to give the impression during a critical election that Convention Hall will now be saved."

But Quinn said the Asbury Park City Council held this meeting in February, where the council said, publicly, that Madison Marquette was applying for tax credits from the state to renovate Convention Hall.

Sciannameo said the application was one small part of a three-hour meeting, and the city never explained the tax application in full detail.

"It was only when we started screaming about them tearing down the casino that we even heard about these tax credits," said Sciannameo. "If I were the mayor or city council, I would have presented the tax credit application on its own, and demanded the applicant come in and explain this to people."

Madison Marquette is not required to let the public know in advance it applied for the tax credits, said NJEDA spokesman Chris Flores.

The NJEDA board of directors, all of whom are appointed by the governor, approved Madison Marquette's tax credit application at their Aug. 20 meeting.

But Sciannameo said that meeting was supposed to be in September, and the NJEDA rescheduled it to August, for reasons that are unknown.

"I can't prove it, but I'm suggesting this appears to be politically motivated to benefit Amy Quinn," Sciannameo said Monday. "Amy is on the transition team of Mikie Sherrill; she's supported by state Sen. Vin Gopal and the Monmouth County Commissioners — who are all Republican, by the way — support her for mayor. It appears the power brokers in the state are behind Amy. And Amy does seem to be taking victory laps for this."

Responded Quinn:

"I am not sure why the meeting was moved from September to August, but I'm not clear what difference that would have made?"

NJEDA spokesman Flores did not answer when asked why the meeting date was moved.

Also, Sciannameo said he is deeply skeptical the planned $130-million renovation of Convention Hall will ever even happen.

"I'm skeptical, and why? Because of the past track record of Madison Marquette," he said. "And I would think most people in Asbury Park are skeptical as well."

For years now, the city of Asbury Park has battled with Madison Marquette over its care — or lack of care, the city has said — of Convention Hall and the Casino, another aging, empty building it owns on the boardwalk.

The city has held Madison Marquette in default three times for letting Convention Hall fall into a state of disrepair. As recently as January, the Asbury Park City Council accused the developer of "its brazen failure to develop, finance, operate and maintain the Casino property and Casino building."

Sciannameo said he's now very curious to see Madison Marquette and the city become allies.

"In a complete reversal, the Mayor, council and Madison Marquette are now united. What happened?" he asked. "Madison Marquette has proven over 20 years that they won't do this. And the city council has failed time and time again to hold Madison Marquette to account."

Quinn responded:

"I may be annoyed at some of the things Madison Marquette has done, but why would I sabotage one of my most important goals, which is the restoration of Convention Hall? And I think we can say I have a good relationship with Gov. Mikie Sherrill's team, and Vin Gopal and Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul. I think my role is to keep good relationships."

Madison Marquette has been working on its application for these tax credits for the past two years, said Quinn.

"This was an application between NJEDA and Madison Marquette and we, as the city, have been on the periphery advocating for this," she said.

Should Convention Hall reopen, Madison Marquette will likely sell the tax credits. Madison Marquette is applying for more tax credits to reopen Convention Hall: They currently have a pending application for $8 million in tax credits from New Jersey's historic property reinvestment program. They are also applying for federal tax credits, as well, but have not received them yet.

"So we're talking more than $100 million in tax money for this on a federal and state level," he said.

Madison Marquette is currently negotiating for a $106 million bridge loan from a private lender to begin construction, according to a city statement about the project.

Sciannameo said he's also very skeptical of that.

"What is the collateral on the bridge loan? If they default on the bridge loan, do they give to someone else? They seem to have no cash, no skin in the game," he said this week.

In their application to get the $75 million in tax credits, Madison Marquette told the NJEDA they anticipate getting financing and beginning construction within three months.

"I would be happy if I thought someone would actually do this (restore Convention Hall)," Sciannameo said. "I'm happy we got the tax credits, but I'm suspicious of the process. And I think I'm justified."

When Asbury Park Mayor John Moor announced this year he would retire, it left a power vacuum in this up-and-coming New Jersey city. Quinn, a lawyer, is Moor's deputy mayor, and Moor backs her to succeed him.

Sciannameo has been on the Asbury Park Planning Board since 2022, and he's been critical of other redevelopment projects in town. He works as a real estate appraiser in New York City.

Both Sciannameo and Quinn are both Democrats. The Asbury Park mayor election will be Nov. 3.

State Of NJ Planning A Huge Renovation Of Asbury Park's Convention Hall (Aug. 25)

After 12 Years, Asbury Park Mayor John Moor Stepping Down (April 2026)