A rendering of the proposed project for 26-28 Shrewbury Avenue included in the the rehabilitation plan by borough planner BFJ Planning. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
A rendering of the proposed project for 26-28 Shrewbury Avenue included in the the rehabilitation plan by borough planner BFJ Planning.
The owners of Red Bank’s Galleria complex applied in January 2025 for approvals to build a 40-unit apartment complex on the Navesink River across the street from the historic brick converted factory.
The plans submitted by Gated Investments Inc., include two buildings to be built on a little-used parking lot at 26-28 Shrewsbury Avenue that is owned by Sourlis International Realty Corp, owners of the Galleria. The lot sits between the waterfront and the NJ Transit train tracks.
The plan would have required several zoning variances. In August, he Borough Council voted to designate the property an “area in need of rehabilitation.”
That designation allows the borough to create new zoning guidelines and issue a five-year tax break in exchange for amenities like affordable housing or the waterfront walkway.
The designation does not make an area eligible for long-term tax abatements or the use of eminent domain, both of which require the heftier “area in need of redevelopment” designation under state land use laws.
The rehabilitation plan prepared by borough planners BFJ Planning and posted to the borough website over the last week creates a clearer picture of how the project will look if it’s built.
It also explains how planners believe the project would advance the goals of the 2023 Master Plan, from reducing runoff into the river, to filling in underused parcels of land and creating more housing.
If approved by the board and Borough Council, the rehabilitation plan would create a “replacement zoning district” with new requirements and guidelines specifically for the parcel.
Besides the aforementioned features, those guidelines include:
- A maximum lot coverage of 65 percent,
- A maximum height of five stories
- Exterior building materials that “respect the vernacular of Red Bank’s existing buildings, which feature significant use of brick, thin brick veneer, finished metal, and fiber cement siding.”
The plan cites the 2023 Borough Master Plan noting that the Shrewsbury Avenue/West Front Street/Rector Place intersection, just north of the project site, is “a high-crash location.”
“While the proposed development at 26-28 Shrewsbury Avenue would generate trips versus the existing parking lot,” the plan reads, “the reduction of curb cuts, and sidewalk upgrades as part of the development, will potentially improve the pedestrian environment near this difficult intersection.”
The full plan can be read here.
The Borough held a public hearing in December on the plan that garnered a wide array of feedback from residents and borough officials. Among the comments were those by Mayor Billy Portman, who pointed to the project as an opportunity to advance the goal of creating more sections of public walkway along the river.
Wednesday’s meeting begins at 7 pm in Borough Hall, 90 Monmouth Street. The meeting can be watched via zoom at this link. If you miss it live, you can catch the re-run on the borough’s Youtube channel.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
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