Ortley Beach & North Beaches

Contract Awarded for Long-Planned $1.8M Ortley Beach Streetscape, Infrastructure Project

by
Daniel Nee
November 13, 2025

Renderings of the anticipated Ortley Beach “Streetscape” design. (Credit: NV5)

A project years in the making with the aim of reviving Ortley Beach’s central business district will begin in the coming weeks and months following the award of a contract to a Piscataway-based construction firm.

The township council on Wednesday night awarded a $1,800,426 contract to Fai-Gon Electric, Inc., for the Ortley Beach Streetscape and Gateway Treatment project, which includes a number of improvements to sidewalks, lighting, amenities and branding of the neighborhood. The vast majority of the cost of the project is funded by state and federal grants, many of which were secured by the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association in cooperation with the township. It covers the area of Route 35 North from the border with Seaside Heights to approximately Third Avenue. It also includes signage on other portions of the highway, as well as plantings in and around the entire area.

The project dates back several years to a period when post-Sandy grant funding was made widely available to affected communities. The council, in 2022, authorized engineering firm NV5 to expend as much as $224,821 to develop the plan, an increase reflecting additional state funding. Since the design was completed, there were several bumps in the road, including some revisions at the behest of state agencies regarding pedestrian walkways and lighting, as well as overcoming some opposition from a few business owners who did not want to participate in the improvement plan. But overall, the project drew widespread support and is expected to enhance the appeal of the business district, which has been shrinking in recent years as more condominiums have replaced commercial properties.

Renderings of the anticipated Ortley Beach “Streetscape” design. (Credit: NV5)

The plan calls for enhancements that will be made to improve the public’s experience in the area, including better lighting, pedestrian accessibility and bike racks. News stands and benches will line the streets. New gateway signage and landscaping will amplify the area as well.

Effectively, the streetscape plan will give the business district a more uniform look, or branding, unique from neighboring Lavallette and the boardwalk-driven Seaside Heights. Most of the branding is centered around a coastal theme which includes the neighborhood’s signature “dolphin” logo.

“You have assured the successful completion of the project, and I thank you,” said Joan Strathern of the OBVTA, reiterating the neighborhood’s support for the project.

The Ortley Beach streetscape plan. (Credit: Toms River Township)

Renderings of the anticipated Ortley Beach “Streetscape” design. (Credit: NV5)

The Ortley Beach streetscape plan. (Credit: Toms River Township)

Renderings of the anticipated Ortley Beach “Streetscape” design. (Credit: NV5)

Strathern said her group’s members worked with township employees and NV5 to help the project’s design, which was specifically aimed at striking a balance between the resiliency of the physical materials that will be used in construction, given the coastal environment, and its aesthetic appeal.

Now that the contract has been approved, the work is expected to begin relatively quickly, with dates to be set during pre-construction meetings.

“We’ve been dealing with this since well before I came on council,” said Council President Justin Lamb, thanking township engineer John M. Mele for his dedication to the project. “Hopefully, by the end of the year, this will be able to go forward.”