'Save The Asbury Park Casino': Advocates Join Forces, Express Doubt Despite Talk Of Repairs, Not Demolition

ASBURY PARK, NY — Close to 100 impassioned people turned out on the most bitterly cold day Asbury Park has seen in years for a public show of support aimed at saving the iconic Casino building from the wrecking ball.

The event, organized by Robert Bruce Ender, came just days after the City of Asbury Park posted a notice stating their opposition to a demolition permit sought by the owners of the Casino property to raze the "breezeway" section of the building.

A red sign slapped onto the side of the Carousel building sounded an alarm for scores who are seeking answers. "This building has been declared unsafe for human occupancy," the notice read.

On January 27, the City of Asbury Park posted a statement regarding the potential demolition of the breezeway attached to the Casino building, written by Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr., Esq. of Maraziti Falcon LLP.

"With its request for a permit to demolish the Breezeway attached to the Casino Building, Madison Marquette has once again demonstrated its shocking disregard for the integrity of the iconic Asbury Park Boardwalk treasures that it has owned since 2010," the statement read. "The city is deeply disappointed in this latest illustration of a pattern of behavior that is disrespectful to the historic heritage of Asbury Park."

The statement continued: "Madison Marquette, through its subsidiary Madison Asbury Retail, LLC, has repeatedly breached the commitments it made when it entered into Subsequent Developer Agreement which it negotiated over 15 years ago with previous city officials to develop, finance, construct, operate, repair, and maintain, various sites of historic importance along the Boardwalk. The language of the 2010 agreement limits the legal options of the city to respond to breaches of the agreement by Madison Asbury Retail. Madison has routinely ignored notices of default issued by the city in the past."

And, the letter said: "There are multiple legal steps that must be taken by Madison Asbury Retail prior to the issuance of a demolition permit by the city construction officials. Among them, the city will insist on a report by a certified structural engineer as to the option to conduct repairs to assure public safety, rather than demolition of the building. As redevelopment counsel for the Asbury Park Waterfront Redevelopment Area, our firm has been charged with the task to identify creative options for the mayor and city council to consider in response to the plan to demolish the treasured Casino building."

Last weekend, one day after letters were posted by the elected officials, including Senator Vin Gopal and Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul, urging Madison Marquette "to reconsider this course of action," a message appeared on the Asbury Park Boardwalk Facebook page — the page is operated by Madison Marquette — and on the developer's website. This notice also appeared one day before the planned show of public support on the boardwalk.

"Several weeks ago, due to forecasts for stormy and snowy weather, we conducted a special inspection of the breezeway through the Casino building (that’s the part that is the extension of the boardwalk). This inspection noted an area of concern, and, to protect public safety, we closed the outdoor path to Ocean Grove," the message said.

"We’re in Asbury. Rumors swirled. Specters of the implosion of the entire Casino building suddenly appeared all over social media. We even noticed a post about the curse of the Morro Castle. Understandably, our great State Senator Vin Gopal and our representatives Margie Donlan and Luanne Peterpaul expressed their concern over any potential demolition. Mayor Moor and the city council rightly urged us to find a solution."

The note continued: "We did. The breezeway will be repaired and preserved. As soon as the repairs are completed, the outdoor pathway to Ocean Grove will be reopened. Check back for updates."

The message assured that "there has never been any concern with the main portion of the Casino building – the Carousel, the vaulted area in the center, and wings on either side. Our incredibly creative team at Wooden Walls will continue to hold their series of imaginative and immersive events in the Carousel."

Requests for comment to Madison Marquette, Asbury Park Mayor John Moor, and Madison Asbury Retail were not immediately returned.

It was not immediately clear if the request for a demolition permit to the city had been withdrawn, or if plans or a timeline for repairs to reopen the Casino breezeway had been presented.

Many on social media asked why, if the Casino walk-through — closed since 2023 due to expressed safety concerns posed by structural steel trusses – were going to be repaired, the message put out by Madison Marquette said only "the outdoor pathway to Ocean Grove will be reopened."

The notice by the city sparked an immediate outpouring on social media, with scores of individuals sounding a rallying cry to save the Casino — the 1929 Beaux Arts structure was designed by Warren and Wetmore, who also designed Grand Central Terminal in New York City and the Convention Hall and Paramount Theater at the other end of the Asbury Park boardwalk.

A crowd turned out at the most recent Asbury Park city council meeting on January 28, imploring the council to work to save the Casino and demanding answers on next steps and what legal options might be explored.

Maraziti spoke at the meeting, and said Asbury has had an "ongoing adversarial relationship with Madison Asbury Retail," which has control of all the assets along the waterfront, he said, including the Casino, the Convention Hall and the Paramount, transferred by the city in 2002.

"In 2010, the city entered into a subsequent development agreement with Madison Asbury Retail, a subsidiary of Madison Marquette, to transfer all the so-called retail assets to Madison Asbury Retail," Maraziti said, adding that did not involve iStar Financial.

Since then, he said: "We have been in a constant struggle with Madison Asbury Retail . . . to hold their feet to the fire."

He added that the city had issued a number of notices of default, including one focusing on failure to proceed with next steps to repair the breezeway after it was closed to the public in 2023.

When asked what the word "default" meant by a speaker at the city council meeting — and what the. consequences of the default might be, as well as what happens after the 30-year plan expires, Maraziti said: "A notice of default is a prelude to a lawsuit. That's very big step for this community to take. Something we are constantly looking at and looking at for a basis to do that."

He added: "A lawsuit can get you in a situation of unintended consequences. It's long and expensive process and does not provide an immediate result."

In 2032, the contract with Madison Marquette and Madison Asbury Retail, is set to expire, he said. "They own these buildings; this is private property. We have a limited period of time to make sure they do not cause demolition by neglect of these buildings."

In 2002, the city transferred ownership of the buildings to Asbury Partners, he said.

Also, Maraziti said, the State Historic Preservation Office has an easement on the Convention Hall complex that requires preservation. "That does not apply to the breezeway or the Carousel building," he said. While the Convention Hall is located on the State and National Registers of Historic sites, the Casino and carousel building are eligible for historic designation but are not currently protected under that designation, he said.

At the city council meeting, Maraziti said that Madison Asbury Retail "is seeking historical tax credits."

The crowd laughed.

"That's something we hope they get and let me tell you why," Maraziti said. A new program, the Cultural Arts Facility Program, was instituted under former Gov. Phil Murphy; the program is managed under the auspices of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

"They are looking to get tax credits there," he said. "We are hopeful they succeed because if they do, they have funding of multi-millions of dollars to do what needs to be done to these facilities. They have indicated that they have big plans to transform the Convention Hall complex and the Paramount Theater and the arcade — and at one point, I don't know if this is the case, the Carousel, to make it a music destination for the northeast. This is the promise; it hasn't been kept yet."

If Madison Retail received the tax credits, Maraziti said: "It would obviate the need for the city to take the steps that would normally be taken after the notice of default. We have to be mindful of those bigger issues going on."

One by one, attendees at the city council meeting stepped up to ask elected officials to act swiftly to save the Casino, which has long been a hallmark of Asbury Park's rich history and cultural identity — a touchstone for generations who remember the grandeur of the building in days gone by and a structure, many believe, that could serve as an economic generator if revitalized.

Many have pointed out on social media and in interviews that what is referred to as the "breezeway" was actually built as the grand concourse of the building, once housing the thrumming hub of the bustling Casino as thousands gathered to ride bumper cars, attend shows at the demolished-in-2006 Casino Arena portion of the building, try their hand at wheels of chance, and enjoy the funhouse and the carousel, a jewel in the Casino complex.

Longtime Asbury Park supporters turned out in droves on social media to raise their voices, crying out in support of saving the iconic structure.

A petition kicked off by James Calder, "Stop The Demolition of the Asbury Park Casino Building" has garnered 7,096 signatures so far.

"We, the undersigned residents, visitors, preservation advocates, and supporters of historic Asbury Park call on the City of Asbury Park to formally retake possession of the Asbury Park Casino building, Convention Hall complex, and other historic boardwalk properties currently held by real estate developers, investors, and management groups due to repeated contract violations, prolonged neglect, and harm to these irreplaceable landmarks."

The petition continued, stating that the Casino has been allowed to fall into "a serious state of disrepair." And, it said: "The historic boardwalk, including the Casino and Convention Hall, is not only part of Asbury Park’s architectural heritage but also a cultural landmark — a symbol of community identity, history, and tourism that should not be lost due to mismanagement."

Chuck Lada, administrator of the Facebook group "Save Asbury Park's History," spoke with Patch about what he hoped to impart at the rally. "The city's passive response to the deterioration of these buildings is puzzling. They have a legal right under the contract to declare an abandonment of these buildings by the owner and to take ownership back. . . We are past the point where we can expect repairs from Madison Marquette. Concerned people need to attend city council meetings and demand that the city take the buildings back to preserve them."

He added that if the structures were owned by the city, numerous funding avenues would be available that a private owner could not access. "These techniques were successfully used to save the Count Basie Theater," he said. "It is up to the city to step forward or accept the blame for their eventual demolition."

Ender spoke with Patch about why he organized the community gathering outside the Casino Saturday. He said he didn't know who would turn out in such brutally cold weather for the event and was surprised and heartened by the large turnout who braved the elements without complaint in order to stress the importance of saving the Casino.

Ender expressed concerns about the future of the structure. "We shouldn't even be having this conversation," he said. "This should be one of the untouchable buildings in Asbury Park."

He added: "This has always been one of the three kings of Asbury Park boardwalk: The Casino, Conventional Hall, and the Berkeley-Carteret — and not one of these three kings should ever be toppled."

He also urged those fighting not to focus only on memories of days gone by — he suggested that that passionate love for the building be harnessed to propel the fight for preservation forward to the structure's new chapter.

He called on the city to create an Asbury Park Historical Landmarks Commission, which currently does not exist; he spoke about the history of Grand Central Station, designed by the same architect who created the Casino and Convention Hall. He said Grand Central once faced its own uncertain future, until a fight ensured that went to the Supreme Court, where the ruling was in New York City's favor.

'That should be a model for how we go forward here. That station is one of the tenth most visited tourist attractions in the world — and the fourth most photographed building in New York City," he said.

"Let's fight this all the way and say, one day, that this is one of the most photographed buildings in New Jersey," he said.

In addition, Ender announced the creation of a newly formed "Committee to Save Asbury Park Casino."

Ender encouraged the crowd to not engage in speculation — instead, to focus on facts and then, a strategy forward.

Speaking with Patch, he mentioned the recent erection of a "construction barrier" that has been erected in front of the Casino, which he believes, "has a larger setback than merely keeping people from getting close to the building."

Ender told Patch that he questioned Madison Marquette's post: "I think the promise to preserve the Casino is ambiguous and deficient," he said.

He added, at the public show of support: "Be careful, the developer might reveal some plan with beautifully rendered drawings. Don't fall for it. It will never look like that," he believes. "It will be all facade, no substance. You can never replace what we have here. This is what we should keep."