By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
FORT MONMOUTH – On Tuesday, the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) reissued its Request for Offers to Purchase (RFOTP) the 292-acre site known as the Mega Parcel, located within the boroughs of Eatontown and Oceanport on the former U.S. Army base. Responses are due by noon June 6.
In October 2021, entertainment giant Netflix confirmed it will be among the bidders, after The Two River Times exclusively reported Netflix’s intent to purchase the parcel in July. Officials said they expect multiple bidders for the mixed-use site on Fort Monmouth’s Main Post, which contains former residential, administrative, research and development buildings, warehouses and other general-purpose facilities.
“The Mega Parcel is an exciting opportunity for any developer, institution or large company to create a dynamic project that will have a lasting impact on the host municipalities and the state as a whole,” said FMERA executive director Bruce Steadman. “We expect this process to be highly competitive. This is a critical piece of the fort’s redevelopment and, as such, we continue to encourage creative proposals that can bring significant, long-term economic impact to the region.”
The original Mega Parcel RFOTP was issued by FMERA in October with bids due Jan. 31. That process was terminated when Parker Creek Partners, the entity that bought the fort’s former Bowling Center, located in the center of the parcel, informed FMERA they wanted to back out of their redevelopment project to create a modern bowling, dining and entertainment facility. The authority bought back the property for $1 in December, formerly incorporating it into the Mega Parcel Jan. 28, increasing the size of the parcel by 2.8 acres.
The Bowling Center became one of three projects already planned within the Mega Parcel to withdraw, joining the Expo Theater, slated to transform into an athletic facility, and six former barracks buildings that were due to become an artists’ community. All are near each other along Route 537 through the fort.
Some involved cited nondisclosure agreements when asked why those three projects were halted.
Netflix became interested in buying almost all of the remaining unsold land within the fort after Gov. Phil Murphy reached out to major film production companies last year offering assistance and incentives if they located facilities in New Jersey.
The Mega Parcel has been appraised for $55.4 million. Potential uses include – but are not limited to – life sciences, information and high tech, clean energy, food and beverage, and film and digital media. The 123-page RFOTP also cites “a wide range of arts, cultural and entertainment related uses, such as arts and cultural centers, theaters, movie/show production facilities, and museums… or a high tech campus featuring incubator space, extensive lab areas, and research and development facilities…”
While residential development is allowed, it’s not required. The fort’s original reuse plan placed the maxi- mum number of Eatontown residential units at 302, and Oceanport at 234.
All offers must propose to redevelop the entire tract.
Excluded are medical or institutional uses requiring an overnight stay, self-storage, gas stations, industrial/ manufacturing, and automobile or vehicle sales. While observers are focused on the potential for Netflix to create a production facility on the Mega Parcel, the RFOTP continues to stress “placemaking,” incorporating open space, green space, trails and places for outdoor activities such as plazas, public squares and amphitheaters. Suggested are “buildings with modern architecture, emphasizing unique building forms and material treatments,” as well as “innovative design elements” such as living walls, green roofs, atriums letting in natural light and sustainability. Proposals incorporating FMERA’s design and development concepts will be given higher scoring consideration, the RFOTP states.
A redevelopment project done in multiple phases will also be considered.
A sample scoring sheet that will be used by FMERA professional staff to evaluate submissions is included in the RFOTP showing seven criteria, with purchase price listed first. Other criteria include estimated number of permanent jobs to be created, the project’s timeline, capital investment, the purchaser’s financial capacity to meet the terms, impact to the host community, and positive economic impact to New Jersey.
Walk-through tours for potential bidders begin at 10 a.m., Monday, March 14, and will be available Monday through Thursday through May 20. FMERA will schedule a pre-proposal, virtual overview of the property and discussion of its planned redevelopment for potential purchasers. The date and time and a link to the event will be posted on the FMERA website, fortmonmouthnj.com. A recording of the presentation will be available on the website.
When it was shuttered by the federal government in 2011, Fort Monmouth had 5 million square feet of building area with 70 percent targeted for demolition. As of this week, about 86 percent of the fort’s 1,126 acres is sold, under contract, in negotiations, or entering the request for proposals process. FMERA has sold 31 parcels. Another six parcels are under contract or have approved contracts. Several new businesses and a branch of New Jersey City University are already redeveloped and operating, and hundreds of new residential units are occupied or under construction.
The fort encompasses portions of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls.
This article originally appeared in the March 10 – 16, 2022, print edition of The Two River Times.
