The building at 21 Broad Street has been vacant since Agostino Antiques moved out in 2012. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
One of downtown Red Bank’s largest buildings would be converted to a food market and speakeasy if a pending proposal passes muster with town zoners.
Also in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn report: a women’s clothing store opens, two vacancies open up, and a building changes hands for the fourth time in 11 years.
Love Me More Boutique opened at 28 Monmouth Street. Below, there’s a new vacancy just a few doors away at the former Christian Science Reading Room. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
• The owner of the long-vacant building at 21 Broad Street has filed plans with the borough calling for the creation of a jazz hall and speakeasy in the basement and “open retail” on the main floor.
The upper two stories of the three-story structure would be converted to office space.
Unfortunately, there’s not much detail in the filing, and Churn was unable to obtain comment.
The property owner, 17 Broad Street LLC, controlled by Rick Stavola, needs a variance because the speakeasy is not permitted in the CCD-2 zone, and approval is needed for a change of use from apartments to offices on the third floor. The zoning board is scheduled to hear the request June 6.
The building has been empty since Agostino Antiques moved out almost seven years ago.
• Michelle Serpico, known to fans as the onetime co-host of jailbound shock-jock Craig Carton, has opened a women’s casual-wear shop called Love Me More Boutique at 28 Monmouth Street.
Serpico, 29, tells Churn that the shop, which has a sister store of the same name in Athens, carries “very Mykonos, linen, loose and summery dresses” made in Greece, along with non-Greek clothing that reflects her “New York style.”
The space was last used by a children’s clothing store.
• Denholtz Associates continues its investment spree with the purchase of a downtown building.
Monmouth County records show Denholtz paid $2.55 million for 137 Broad Street last month. That’s about $30,000 less than the New York City-based seller, Broad Red LLC, paid for it just 13 months earlier.
The building, which briefly housed a Staples office supply store followed by use as a securities brokerage office, has changed owners four times since 2008 and is currently vacant. Denholtz CEO Steve Denholtz tells Churn there’s no tenant lined up yet.
His company is also building the Rail multiuse project at the Red Bank train station, and won approval in April to build 10 luxury condos overlooking the Navesink River at Boat Club Court.
• The longtime Christian Science Reading Room space at 22 Monmouth Street was vacated earlier this month.
Also newly vacant, yet again, is the store space at 65 Broad Street, at the corner of Wallace Street. The spot has been occupied on-and-off for years by a rug business.
