Toms River Demolishing Red Carpet Inn

TOMS RIVER, NJ — It's finally coming down. The Red Carpet Inn, the downtown hotel that was a thorn in the side of the township for years, is being demolished Thursday afternoon.

Demolition crews are scheduled to bring the building down about 2 p.m., when a news conference is scheduled to be held near the motel. Fencing has been in place around the motel, which was permanently closed in March, for a few weeks.

Patch will broadcast live at the demolition.

Toms River purchased the hotel on Water Street at the corner of Main Street on Oct. 30, ending what had been a persistent problem downtown. The Toms River Police Department logged more than 750 calls from 2015 to November 2017, prompting the township to file a nuisance complaint against the hotel. The Township Council then passed an ordinance banning motel stays of less than 24 hours, requiring identification and barring anyone under 18 from renting a motel room for a night.

The council approved a $345,000 contract for Site Enterprises Inc. of Egg Harbor Township in late May to demolish the motel, for which Toms River paid $3.3 million. Site Enterprises specializes in site remediation, asbestos removal and demolition services, according to its website.

The council had appropriated $4.8 million for the motel purchase and demolition, which also is part of the town's plans to revitalize and redevelop the waterfront. The demolition of the motel is part of efforts to address flooding and drainage issues that repeatedly swamp Water Street, Irons Street and Herflicker Boulevard during heavy rains.

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