Issuance of Four RFOTPs Aim to Bring Residential, Commercial Development to Oceanport

The redevelopment of Fort Monmouth took another step forward this month as the FMERA Board approved the issuance of four Requests for Offers to Purchase (RFOTP) for properties in the Oceanport section of Fort Monmouth — the Barkers Circle Complex, the Lodging Area, Allison Hall and the Commissary Building. FMERA is set to acquire all four areas as part of the Phase 2 Economic Development Conveyance (EDC) Agreement with the Army.

“We are eager to build upon the momentum we started earlier this year with the issuance of eight RFOTPs,” FMERA Director of Real Estate Development Dave Nuse said. “This latest round that the Board authorized represents major redevelopment planned for the Fort. These parcels will help to attract investment and jobs, and result in substantial tax revenue.”

Located south of the Main Gate along Oceanport Avenue, the Barkers Circle Complex is a group of five circa-1930 barracks buildings, approximately 30,000 square-feet each, adjacent to the Main Post Fire House and Kaplan Hall. In order to maximize redevelopment opportunities, the Board approved combining Barker Circle, the Fire House and Kaplan Hall into one single RFOTP.

The Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan (Reuse Plan) calls for the renovation of three of the five Barker Circle Complex buildings into 75 units of housing. Although the Reuse Plan calls for the two remaining buildings to be adapted as municipal offices for the Borough of Oceanport, the municipality has indicated that it does not need either building. FMERA anticipates making these buildings available for private redevelopment.

FMERA intends to designate the Fire House, located in the Fort’s historic district, for commercial redevelopment. However, since the Oceanport Police Department is subleasing the Fire House on an interim basis, FMERA plans to include a provision in the RFOTP allowing the Authority to withdraw that building from the offering prior to the execution of a Purchase and Sale & Redevelopment Agreement, if necessary.

FMERA anticipates that the RFOTP will call for the reuse of Kaplan Hall to include civic, commercial, museum or related uses.

In approving the RFOTP for Allison Hall, the Board gave the green light for FMERA to also include the areas surrounding the building – bounded by Oceanport, Russel, Barton and Signal Avenues, along with the adjacent buildings to the north – into the RFOTP, which will call for the land to be redeveloped as a six-acre mixed-use development site.

The Board also signed off on the issuance of an RFOTP for the Lodging Area, adjacent to Parker’s Creek in the northeast quadrant of the Main Post.  The Lodging Area consists of eight buildings, two used by FEMA in 2013 and 2014 to house families displaced by Sandy and two identified as historic property.  FMERA intends to market the Lodging Area for hotel, conference and related uses.

Lastly, the FMERA Board approved issuing an RFOTP for the Commissary, located at Murphy Drive and Razor Avenue. Consistent with the vision of creating a technology hub on the Fort, FMERA intends to market the Commissary for office and research & development use.