By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
TINTON FALLS – A formerly wooded 40-acre site across from Monmouth Regional High School and the Tinton Falls municipal complex is being cleared and prepared for a new development of 243 homes and 58,000 square feet of commercial space to be constructed by Lennar. Called Patriot’s Square, it is the latest parcel on the former Fort Monmouth to move to private hands and redevelopment.
As part of the same project, Lennar is also building 45 single-family detached homes, called Anthem Place, on a 15-acre site nearby. According to David Nuse, deputy director of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), all homes will be sold at market rate with 20 percent dedicated to affordable housing, as per state statutes. Completion for Anthem Place is estimated for the end of this year. Patriot’s Square will open in phases as units are sold and placed under contract.
According to Lennar’s website, the single Anthem Place homes will range from $609,950 to $649,900. While no information has been released yet about unit price at Patriot’s Square, the community will feature 125 three-story townhomes and 60 two-story townhomes surrounding a community park and playground.
EXPO THEATER BACK ON THE BLOCK
Proposals for Monmouth’s Expo Theater are now being accepted for 60 days, from June 19. The property consists of approximately 7.8 acres of land, and an 18,883-square-foot entertainment facility with a 995-seat auditorium. The circa 1968 building, located in the Eatontown section of the fort on the Avenue of Memories (Route 537), is slated for commercial arts, entertainment and recreation uses. An additional 26.9 acres of open space is also available for purchase as part of the bid process.
“Based on its proximity to our planned Lifestyle Town Center and the fort’s Artist/Live Work Space, FMERA believes the highest and best use of the property is continued use as a similar arts, cultural, or entertainment facility regardless of whether the building is adaptively reused or demolished,” said Nuse. He noted that the first time the bid proposals were issued in 2017, there were two offers, but neither went to contract.
“There is now a critical mass of consumers on the former fort including over 1,000 workers at technology companies such as Commvault, Aaski Technology, and TetherView, and the first of many residents are now living at East Gate (68 units) and Liberty Walk (48 units), which opened this year, activating the fort around the clock,” Nuse noted.
FMERA senior marketing and development officer Sarah Giberson said the project will complement others in the pipeline. She cited the expansion of the Bowling Center and a new microbrewer y and event space currently being constructed in the former Dance Hall, retaining much of its original character and features. Area entrepreneur and art gallery owner Kenneth Schwartz is turning six former barracks buildings along Route 537 into an active artist’s community with studio space, events and exhibitions.
“Collectively, these uses begin to form the nexus of and cultural amenities that will create a truly special place within Monmouth County,” Giberson said.
The 1,127-acre former U.S. Army base, which spans portions of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls, had five million square feet of building area. New development completed to date under FMERA, an independent state authority established to oversee the redevelopment, includes 1.16 million square feet of commercial space, and 116 residential units, along with civic and entertainment uses. Eighteen parcels have been sold and 24 parcels are currently under contract, in negotiation, or in the development pipeline, officials reported June 19.
