By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – A long-discussed plan to transform one of the borough’s most visible entry points is finally underway – and a 1962 movie is part of its inspiration. Victor Rallo, owner of Birravino restaurant on Riverside Avenue, has officially purchased the former Bridge Avenue Gas station property at 187 Riverside Ave., with plans to turn the borough’s long-blighted lot into a welcoming “gateway” to town.
Rallo Hospitality, represented by former Red Bank mayor Edward McKenna Jr., closed on the property Oct. 21, marking the end of what Rallo called decades of effort to acquire the highly visible site at the foot of Coopers Bridge, which connects Red Bank with Middletown Township.
“There is a scene in the 1962 movie ‘That Touch of Mink’ where Doris Day and Cary Grant are traveling to Asbury Park on Route 35. They cross over the Coopers Bridge and stop at the gas station at 187 Riverside,” Rallo said in a recent statement. What eventually became Bridge Avenue Gas before its closure in 2020 was, at the time of filming, a Sunoco station, Rallo said.
The site has long held symbolic meaning for Rallo. “Every time I’ve gazed at the gas station, I’ve thought of that film, and the concept of a gateway,” he said. “My gateway into classic films, and that gas station, which to me represents the gateway to our beloved Red Bank.”
The longtime restaurateur and his late father had for years hoped to own the property. “Eddie (McKenna) had long known our goal to ‘buy the gas station’ – which was planted in him decades ago by my father Big Vic, and reinforced by me for the last 18 years,” Rallo said. “Finally, our dream of owning this important corner came to fruition.”
The property, leased by billboard company Outfront Media LLC, has been described as an “eyesore” during numerous public meetings over the years.
Rallo said the project represents a long-held personal vision. “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.”
In an interview with The Two River Times in February, Rallo said he had begun environmental cleanup of the contaminated site, estimating remediation costs around $200,000. However, details of the sale of the property have not yet been released.
While Rallo hasn’t determined a specific use for the property yet, he did say it “will be used for a hospitality project. Most importantly, we are excited to beautify the space and make the gateway to Red Bank pretty,” he said.
Rallo also announced a partnership with Mancini Duffy Architecture, a national design and planning firm with offices in Red Bank. The firm is known for its work on large-scale redevelopment projects, including Bell Works in Holmdel, where it helped reimagine the adaptive reuse of the former Bell Labs complex into a mixed-use destination featuring offices, shops and community spaces. The firm most recently announced itself as the local architects designing the Netflix Studios campus on the former Fort Monmouth.
“Red Bank has always been part of my story. I grew up in Middletown, crossed that bridge countless times as a kid, and now raise my family here,” said Christian Giordano, president and principal at Mancini Duffy. “This corner has always symbolized the start of town and I cannot think of anyone better than Vic to shape its next chapter.”
“We have begun the environmental cleanup, and we will soon start the restoration of the original building on the property,” Rallo said.
The redevelopment will include a “Welcome to Red Bank” sign and is expected to be completed by June 2026.
The Red Bank Master Plan also recommends several nearby properties along Riverside Avenue for revitalization to improve the area. Across from Birravino, the former Visiting Nurse Association Health Group headquarters at 176 Riverside Ave. and adjacent parcels are being redeveloped into a 212-unit mixed-use complex by developer Saxum, featuring residential and coworking spaces. In addition, the long-abandoned 80 Rector Place property – another former gas station at the southern end of Coopers Bridge – was recently added to Red Bank’s official “area in need of rehabilitation” list. Borough officials have said the designations are part of a broader plan to encourage investment and transform underused properties along the busy Riverside corridor into a welcoming gateway into the town.
The article originally appeared in the November 13 – 19, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
