The former home of Hobbymasters would be turned into a training café for individuals with special needs if approved by the Red Bank planning board Monday night.
Also scheduled for review: a request for an expansion to Red Rock Tap + Grill.
(See CORRECTION below)
A view of Red Rock Tap + Grill from Wharf Avenue. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
On the agenda:
• Up first on the agenda is a request by Red Rock, at 14 Wharf Avenue, to add add a seasonally enclosed portion of the dining area on the second floor; move the interior stairs to a new stair tower; and to replace an Americans with Disabilities Act parking space with new seasonal food service.
A boark OK would amend approval it granted in May, 2019, allowing Red Rock to seasonally enclose part of its roof deck for dining and to eliminate three employee-only parking spots onsite.
• At 62 White Street, an applicant is seeking a change-of-use approval from retail to allow for a “multipurpose training café for individuals with special needs,” according to the agenda description.
The plan calls for instructional spaces, a retail space and second floor offices.
The building, opposite the White Street municipal parking lot, was home to the gamer’s paradise known as Hobbymasters for four decades before the store closed in early 2020. It’s now owned by Philip J. Bowers & Company, which has extensive real estate holdings in the area.
Three years ago, Trap Door Escape Room, located in an abutting building, announced plans to expand into 62 White and create America’s largest “escape room” entertainment facility, but no construction followed. CORRECTION: Trap Door did open at 62 White but has since closed down, according to the landlord.
Here’s the full agenda. The board meets in person at 6:30 p.m., following a half-hour workshop session, at borough Hall, 90 Monmouth Street.
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