Asbury Park has seen a surge of new development following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy, though up to this point, most of that has been new residential or hotel space. Now, plans have been revealed for a new performing arts center, dubbed Asbury J.A.M.S., and the building promises to anchor further improvements to the oceanfront community.
Asbury Park Performing Arts Center, image via Shore Point Architecture
The three-story project will total 60,000 square feet, and is being designed by Shore Point Architecture, which is based in Pennsylvania. Per the architects, the building “will provide both a visual gateway to the Springwood Avenue Corridor and serve as a destination for people coming to Asbury Park to experience the city’s vibrant Arts and Music scene.”
Asbury Park Performing Arts Center Interior, image via Shore Point Architecture
There will be a 200-seat theatre and lecture hall, a “museum-quality gallery space,” as well as a “lounge/restaurant designed as part supper club, part theatre.”
Asbury Park Performing Arts Center, image via Shore Point Architecture
Design-wise, the building will be quite attractive, featuring a wood-paneled facade that will be inset with massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Up top, there will also be a green roof, which will be accessible to visitors.
Asbury Park Performing Arts Center Rooftop, image via Shore Point Architecture
No completion date has been formally announced yet, but the proposal comes after Asbury Park’s designation as New Jersey’s 33rd official “transit village,” per Jersey Digs, which also notes that ground-breaking is still two years away.
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Yeah!..beautiful from inside to outside.
Have to wonder how this small shore community can support this build.
Great now Springsteen can play there 365 days a year.
Just what we need.
Boo!
That’s either a sorry pisspoor attempt at sarcasm, or you really are that clueless.
Oh what? Did New Brunswick reach peak-Hoboken and now you people have your tentacles ready to descend on Asbury Park?
Don’t like the design…. doesn’t fit in with the Asbury Rock N Roll vibe…. also ONLY 200 seats? Seems rather small
-_- just what we need….more things that we don’t need…. *sigh*
As much as I love all the wonderful revitalization of AP (which was going on LONG before that damn storm, btw) I really wish people would keep their hands…and gaudy buildings…out of my town. Slow and steady growth with no eyesores, please.
Parking needs to be addresses
Creative! Amazing! Beautiful!
Trying to find something nice to say about the architecture…. just can’r
And the parking will be provided …. where?
Asbury Park was one of many towns that were NOT devastated by Hurricane Sandy. That storm really had nothing to do with hastening the development of the city. Also Theatre need to be about 300 seats to be potentially viable…
Hey Davey. You should be railing against that 15 story condo on Ocean Ave. ratherthan this. Which by the way will probably be across the tracks on Springwood and which will anchor more organic development on the west side.
Oh btw…Your town? How myopically asshole proprietary on your part. Everybody!!!!! Hail the King!
Too bad it’s so ugly and so un-necassary. What Asbury Park really needs is new schools and Sensible development. Not trash/flashy fake modernism the taxpayers can’t afford.
and where will everyone park? It doesn’t really match the current vibe of AP.
Lets just make every town exactly like the one before…new theatre, performing arts, venue for whatever and Nothing the taxpayers need can afford or want. Will bring more people =rubbish, noise= pollution and heavily trafficed roads requiring maintenance and renovation that never seems to happen for years….And what do the cittizens gain…???? Crowds of tourists that visit for a day or two, leaving a trail of garbage in their wake.
Gee, maybe another festival!? Just what monmouth county really needs. Or maybe another highrise parking lot …those are always attractive in what used to be historic jersey shore towns….if only the towns were places where couples wanted to live and raise families, we might not need all the revenue from outside sources.
Ridiculous…Why not spend the money on revitalizing Convention Hall? A 200 seat theater? What is that good for? The design doesn’t fit Asbury Park
There is never agreement on design or revitalization. I happen to think the design is beautiful, and will look forward to being able to have yet another local performing venue. Asbury is becoming a mecca for great music of all kinds.
Wow, surprised by some of these comments. Get your facts straight people. First of all, this building is the brainchild of Interfaith Neighbors, a local charity that has supported the community for almost 3 decades, particularly the West Side. Secondly, the main objective of J.A.M.S will support the arts (mainly for our youth) on the West Side. This is something that has been neglected for years and part of a greater developement plan to support the Springwood Community the right way. Not some plan by a big developer, but one by a charity whose mission it is to help the community. Ask the real residents who have lived here 15+ years what they think of the building. And btw…I believe the plan has already won a few awards nationally. And No, I do not work for Interfaith Neighbors.
Thank you for this response clueless negativity mostly from people that don’t live in Asbury
Doesn’t the Convention Center, (with theater/stage space already in place) need rehabilitation/restoration before it falls into the ocean?
I think it is a lovely building and a good-sized space. I wonder how it will be funded, both construction and maintenance.
The level of negativity is really incredible ! This would be a great addition to the town and fantastic for the west side
Wow- that’s great !!
As a homeowner in Asbury Park, I think any attempt to bring more beauty, music and culture into our city is wonderful. It’s always much easier to promote negativity than to promote new ideas. Of course I cherish and appreciate the historic Convention Hall, and would be thrilled to see complete restoration of the Casino, but not all projects can happen at once. Springwood Park has been an inspiration, and so will this new and innovative center.
Very exciting to see development on the west side. It looks beautiful thus far. I hope they add a few more seats to the theatre as the planning continues. Love it!
Another place the folks who live on the Westside won’t be able to afford to go to!
Bottom line, current Asbury residents are benefiting from this wonderful interest and investment in Asbury. If you want to leave Asbury, you will be well rewarded when you have a bidding war for your property so you can retire in a less “Happening” and “Energized” boring location.
If you want to by into Asbury, you will kick yourself silly that you did not buy into it Five years ago.
This town and many surrounding it is full of local artistic talent, from poets to musicians—visual & performing artists. I believe this is exactly the kind of space that can inspire the community while supporting the local artist scene. Not to mention getting our youth involved! So often the arts and music programs at a public school level are the first to be dissolved in the budgeting. But, with a space where people can come together and share their gifts- learn from one another and create movements through the arts all in one beautiful space is an epic accomplishment.
It has been a dream of mine for the town for over a decade. It takes a village to facilitate such a massive project- but if any town and community can make it happen it is ours!
I truly hope from an educators, authors, and artists perspective this manifestation becomes a reality.