Red Bank volunteer firefighters responded The Rail at 118 Chestnut Street where a burst pipe flooded at least a dozen apartments. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Residents of The Rail were packing up their belongings after a burst pipe flooded their apartments. (Photo by Brian Donohue)
Red Bank Fire Department Deputy Chief Brett McDonald said a three-inch pipe had burst in a ceiling on the third floor of the building.
Firefighters were called shortly after 6 am and turned off water lines and electricity.
He said firefighters were still tallying how many dwellings had been affected and how many residents might be displaced.
“At least three quarters of the second floor are definitely damaged,” he said. McDonald said firefighters were waiting for the property manager to arrive to further assess the situation.
Water from a burst pipe on the third floor flows down into the basement parking garage of The Rail, a 57-unit apartment building in Red Bank.
In an email to redbankgreen a spokesperon for building owner Denholtz apologized to residents and vowed to get them back into their home as soon as possible.
“We know this has been a difficult and disruptive morning for everyone,” the email reads.
It continues: “We are working closely with restoration contractors and other necessary vendors to extract water, assess the damage, and safely restore the building to normal operations as quickly as possible. We are in direct communication with residents and tenants and will continue providing updates regarding restoration efforts and the anticipated timeline for returning to their homes.
“We sincerely apologize to our residents and commercial tenants for the disruption and stress this has caused. Their safety and well-being remain our top priority, and we are working as quickly and carefully as possible to fully restore the property.”
Earlier in the morning, residents were scrambling and in some cases, packing up and moving out. Several appeared visibly distraught and angry.
“I woke up 6:30 in the morning, and my apartment was flooded,” said one second-floor resident who asked not to be identified. Asked how much water he had in his apartment he said, “a lot.”
“The third and second floor are flooded,” he said.
Third floor resident Kristin Schierenbec woke up to find water flooding the hallway and scrambled to use towels and bedding to keep the water from flooding under her front door.
“I’m fighting for it not to come in,” she said.
An employee of Filoncino Bakery Cafe on the ground floor of the building said water had entered the premises.
The building also serves as the headquarters for Denholtz, the developer who completed it in 2021.
Denholtz is also NJ Transit’s designated developer for the massive train station redevelopment project set to rise on adjacent lots in the coming year
The first phase of that project, a 175-unit building called The Rail North, is the subject of ongoing public hearings before the Red Bank Planning board, which is tasked with approving the site plans.
In 2025, the company transformed from developer to a private investment management firm, boasting of more than $2 billion in holdings.
In July 2024, a contractor hired by Denholtz doing testing near the train station ruptured a sewer main, sending a flow of raw sewage into the Navesink River.
“Our team is on-site working to address a water incident at The Rail at Red Bank caused by a pipe burst on the third floor, which impacted third and second floor residential units, as well as areas on the first floor and the parking garage. Two ground-floor retail tenants were also affected. The Red Bank Fire Department responded quickly and, as a precaution, shut off water and electricity to the building.
We are working closely with restoration contractors and other necessary vendors to extract water, assess the damage, and safely restore the building to normal operations as quickly as possible. We are in direct communication with residents and tenants and will continue providing updates regarding restoration efforts and the anticipated timeline for returning to their homes.
We sincerely apologize to our residents and commercial tenants for the disruption and stress this has caused. Their safety and well-being remain our top priority, and we are working as quickly and carefully as possible to fully restore the property.”
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
