By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – The site of a former Bridge Avenue gas station may finally get remediated and repurposed by a potential new owner, Victor Rallo, owner of the adjacent Italian restaurant Birravino.
Rallo now has a contract to purchase the gas station site. The longtime restaurant is situated next to the property at the intersection of Riverside and Bridge avenues, a busy gateway into Red Bank’s historic downtown. The property, at 187 Riverside Ave., sits at the foot of Cooper’s Bridge that connects Red Bank with Middletown Township.
In a release, Rallo announced the beginning of “clean-up and development of the ‘Gateway to Red Bank.’”
Referred to as an “eyesore” across several public meetings, the property has been a subject of lengthy debates between officials and residents considering a suitable use for it. The site is currently leased by a billboard company, Outfront Media LLC.
Purchase of the lot ends “25 years of negotiations,” Rallo said in the release. “With the invaluable support of former mayor and friend Ed McKenna, we are thrilled to announce that we have entered into a contract to purchase the corner parcel, the Bridge Avenue Gas Station.” The former gas station property has been deemed contaminated by officials for decades.
Speaking by telephone Feb. 18, Rallo said the cost of environmental remediation is “around $200,000.”
Due to a non-disclosure agreement, Rallo said he could not provide details about the lease negotiation for the billboard, but he did talk about future plans.
He said the existing single-story building on the property could either be reconstructed “or we just demo the building and make it all parking because we can’t block the billboard,” Rallo explained.
Regardless, Rallo said he is working actively “in conjunction with the Borough of Red Bank” to install a “Welcome to Red Bank” sign at the corner of the property.
Birravino (formerly Basil T’s) has been serving Red Bank since 1988 and Rallo said he is now looking forward to serving both neighbors and visitors alike.
“It has been my dream to transform this entrance to Red Bank, which sees over 1,000 cars per hour, into a beautiful welcoming spot – a true ‘hello’ to all visitors of this great town.”
The article originally appeared in the February 27 – March 5, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
