Fort Monmouth’s Marina Sold to Longtime Marina Operator
Fort Monmouth, NJ (March 31, 2021) – The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) today announced that it has sold the Marina at Oceanport to Asbury Park Development Partners (APDP). The property was subsequently transferred to restaurant operator, Mario Criscione. Under an operator’s agreement with FMERA, the Marina at Oceanport has been open since 2015. FMERA’s sale of the property occurred on March 25.
The Marina at Oceanport is located at Oceanport and Riverside Avenues in Oceanport on the eastern-most portion of the Fort Monmouth’s Main Post. The Marina Parcel is an approximately four-acre parcel that contains a 71-slip marina and boat launch ramp at Oceanport Creek, a restaurant, and off-street parking. The site is adjacent to the approximately-80-acre parcel of land known as 400 Area, which will serve as the neighborhood center of Oceanport’s redevelopment. FMERA anticipates issuing a Request for Offers to Purchase for the 400 Area within the next year.
The former Fort Monmouth marina was severely damaged in Superstorm Sandy, and its subsequent renovations brought new life to the facility. The Marina at Oceanport reopened at the site nearly six years ago, under an operator’s agreement between the FMERA and Mario Criscione, after the renovation. The FMERA Board approved a Purchase and Sale & Redevelopment Agreement with Asbury Park Development Partners (APDP) for the sale of the marina parcel in 2018.
The restaurant has indoor seating at tables for approximately 52 patrons and additional seating at a bar inside the facility, as well as outdoor seating, overlooking the water, that can accommodate another 60 patrons. For those looking to “dock and dine,” the restaurant has boat slips available at its easternmost piers, closest to the public boat launch. The Marina also offers a broad array of entertainment, including trivia night, karaoke, and live music.
“We are thrilled to take ownership of the property that we have been operating these past several years and have exciting plans for The Marina at Oceanport as our community begins to recover from the pandemic,” Criscione said.
Indoor dining and entertainment have been temporarily scaled back due to the on-going pandemic. In the interim, patrons may enjoy additional outdoor dining opportunities. The Marina is currently offering tented, outdoor seating for approximately 60 diners, equipped with heaters and all social-distancing precautions in place. In the coming months, the Marina expects to roll up the walls of its tented dining area, known as the Riverdeck, and expand their outdoor dining to include dog-friendly dining tables with umbrellas. Live music is also expected to resume outdoors, weather permitting.
“The sale of the Marina brings another excellent business to the Borough of Oceanport and contributes to our vision for a walkable community, complete with amenities that will contribute to an appealing quality of life at Fort Monmouth and the community at large,” said FMERA Executive Director Bruce Steadman. “Additionally, the Marina will contribute to the local economy, furthering FMERA’s mission and bringing highly-anticipated tax revenue into the Borough.”
“With over 400 homes activated across the Fort, we’re excited that residents can take advantage of dining locally with a view,” said FMERA Marketing & Development Manager Sarah Giberson. Giberson noted that, in the past two years, several residential projects have been completed including East Gate and Liberty Walk by RPM development in Oceanport, and Anthem Place, by Lennar in Tinton Falls. Numerous others, including Patriots Square, by Lennar in Tinton Falls are in various stages of development.