Red Carpet Inn Finally Belongs To Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Red Carpet Inn will soon be history. Five months after the Toms River Township Council gave its approval, Mayor Thomas H. Kelaher signed the paperwork finalizing the township's purchase of the downtown property.

The purchase puts the final closure in place for the property that had been a nuisance in the downtown area for years, with residents complaining of drug issues and other criminal activity at the motel, which had operated at the corner of West Water Street and Main Street for decades.

The next step for the property is environmental reviews and eventually, demolition. The township issued $4.8 million in bonds to pay for the motel, with a portion of the money earmarked for demolition work and flood control measures at the site to protect the downtown area.

The anticipated purchase price, when the council approved the bond sale in May, was $3.3 million.

The plan to demolish the building has drawn criticism from advocates for the homeless, who have urged the township to consider using it to provide emergency shelter, particularly during the winter when temperatures become dangerously cold. The Township Council recently approved the use of the recreation building at Riverwood Park for Code Blue emergencies, according to an Asbury Park Press report.

The issues at the Red Carpet Inn had become so vexing that the Toms River Police Department filed a nuisance complaint against the motel for "knowingly conducting or maintaining a premise where unlawful activity takes place or by creating conditions that endanger the public’s health or safety." Police had responded to more than 750 incidents at the motel between 2015 and November 2017.

The township also passed an ordinance requiring anyone wanting to rent a motel room in the township to be at least 18, and requiring ID for all adult guests in the room, as well as banning hourly room rentals.

"The acquisition of this property is important for a number of reasons," Kelaher said. "Not only does it eliminate an eyesore and a police problem, but it will now enable us to begin our long range plan to redevelop downtown Toms River with new businesses and apartments."

The Downtown Toms River Business Improvement District advocated for the town's purchase of the property at the May council meeting, with Alizar Zorojew, the BID's executive director, saying the crime issues were a deterrent to people coming to the downtown.

"This move sends a major signal to businesses, developers, and residents that Toms River is serious about refining its downtown and better utilizing its waterfront," Zorojew said.

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Photos of Mayor Thomas H. Kelaher and Kartik Patel, managing member of 2 West Water LLC, the corporate owner of the Red Carpet Inn, signing the closing documents, by Stacy Proebstle, Toms River Township public information officer. Red Carpet Inn photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff