White Whale. Blogfinger photo during north end boardwalk restoration. 2019. The entire building was destroyed in the April 2019 fire.
Carcass of the White Whale. By Paul Goldfinger. April 22, 2019. Click once to enlarge the mess. The demolition cleanup was delayed.
By Blogfinger editorial staff. 2019.
We recently posted an article regarding comments that Neptune Administrator Vito Gadaleta made in a Coaster (May 2) interview and at the last OGHOA meeting, which were quoted in our “Quoaster Quotes” article from May 4—scroll down to review.
Gadaleta speculated about what might happen to that White Whale lot which, prior to the recent fire, contained the second largest building in the Grove. He acknowledged that the owner of the building, Robert Dweck, is anxious to rebuild the /Dunes which housed about 10 businesses, most of which were in the Food Court.
Gadaleta said that the main obstacle to that plan would be a CAFRA (DEP) approval for construction on the beach. He also said that the Township supported the rebuilding of that structure.
We pointed out on Blogfinger that such a project, which is part of the North End Area in Need of Re-Development, would require overcoming quite a few hurdles before work could begin.
In response to that Coasterican article, we received a comment on May 8 from OG resident “Dr. Carol,” and this is what she said:
“I can’t imagine we’d ever get State approval for a new structure on the beach, so let’s start thinking about alternatives. For this summer, why not a food truck court? (our boldface)
“And when the North End project is done, its boardwalk retail section should find tenants sooner — move all the fire-displaced tenants across the boardwalk. Then turn the burn site into high dunes and more beach — and how about that dog beach everyone has been talking about?”
Blogfinger reporter/researcher/historian Jack Bredin responded to her today (May 9):
“Dr. Carol: You are absolutely correct!
“Now that the DEP is involved with an application for that specific “lot,” the DEP would have to take notice in the DEP records that the “Pavilion Lot” was illegally subdivided from State owned beach property by a nonexistent applicant, and then illegally zoned by the Township to permit “mixed-use, commercial and residential” development, all in violation of “The Public Trust Doctrine.”
“Then the Township included the “newly minted lot” into the NERP (North End Redevelopment Plan)”
Editor’s note: We have been aware that throughout the years of NERP discussions, the owner of that building was never identified. That seemed peculiar since the White Whale is part of the NERP. One would think that the man who owned the building would step forward and participate in the discussions. We assume that this shadowy figure was talking to some insiders, but such meetings must have been held in a smoke-filled room somewhere in order to protect his identity.
We wondered if the Township would try to avoid additional land use problems and issues with that owner by carving out the “Pavilion Lot” from the latest North End Redevelopment Plan.”
The land on which the building sat is only part of that “Pavilion Lot.”
We plan to take further interest in the owner of that building and how he fits into the North End Redevelopment Plan puzzle which is currently still being “negotiated” between the investors (OGNED) and the CMA.
Why do you think the CMA and the Township avoid revealing whom they are doing business with?
And we suspect that the White Whale postmortem discussions might result in new revelations to become public related to the entire topic of North End Redevelopment.—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL from Funny Face.
I’ve been wondering about the time frame of a cleanup and whether there has been any official NJ State oversight and testing of the rubble. Are there hazardous materials such as asbestos?
If so, how will this be contained on a wide open beach site during our busiest and most populated time of the year.
And YES to food trucks. People visiting OG need access to food!