The building has been at its location since the 1920s, says preservationist George Bowden.
A link to Red Bank’s past may soon fall to the bulldozer.
Sourlis International, owner of the Galleria, is looking into demolishing an old red barn it owns just across Shrewsbury Avenue from the shopping, dining and office complex, a company employee confirms.
“It’s a bit of an eyesore,” says manager Ted Whitehouse, who says the company is looking into state Department of Environmental Protection requirements to see if any apply to the demolition of the structure.
No permits have yet been sought from either the state or the borough, he tells redbankgreen.
A good portion of the building’s roof is missing on the western end.
The surrounding property is used as a parking lot, but Whitehouse says Sourlis has no firm plans for the parcel other than to bring it down to grade and cover it with gravel. The property slopes steeply away from Shrewsbury Avenue toward the Swimming River.
Monmouth County records indicate the entire property, at nine-tenths of an acre, is assessed at $778,800.
Though it’s a familiar landmark, it’s not part of the borough’s inventory of historic structures, says Historic Preservation Commission member George Bowden.
Bowden says the building was the site of Hance Coal & Feed, which became Davis & Hance, one of several coal dealers in town. It was later used as a produce market, but has been vacant for years, he says.
