{"id":18465,"date":"2026-04-08T06:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T10:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/?p=18465"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T10:01:08","slug":"developers-officials-debate-options-for-bamboo-nightclub-property-redevelopment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/2026\/04\/developers-officials-debate-options-for-bamboo-nightclub-property-redevelopment\/","title":{"rendered":"Developers, Officials Debate Options for ‘Bamboo’ Nightclub Property Redevelopment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Renderings<\/a>

Renderings of the mixed-use complex proposed to replace the former Bamboo nightclub in Seaside Heights, April 2026. (Planning Document)<\/p><\/div>\n

The owner of the former Bamboo nightclub property in Seaside Heights has proposed a five-story, 48-unit complex with ground-level commercial space to finally occupy the parcel following its demolition in 2021. Representatives of the owner, a Toms River company, appeared at a work session of the borough planning board on Monday to pitch an updated plan based on one that had been previously approved, however board members asked for some additional modifications before a full hearing would be scheduled.<\/p>\n

Located between Lincoln and Franklin avenues along the Boulevard, the nightclub that once stood on the property was known across the world after exposure on MTV programs, including the reality show “Jersey Shore.” Eventually, its owner, John Saddy, declared bankruptcy and the property was sold at auction<\/a> before being demolished<\/a>. The idea for a mixed-use complex that would include 48 luxury condominium units and ground-floor commercial space was first floated in 2022, but stalled, leaving the property in the center of town undeveloped. This led the borough council to formally designate the entire property as an “area in need of redevelopment” in 2025, which would force its owner to finalize a proposal built to the council’s specifications, or risk condemnation.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The former Bamboo Bar property in Seaside Heights, N.J., Dec. 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Bamboo,<\/a>

Bamboo, Seaside Heights, Sept. 2021. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The<\/a>

The former Bamboo Bar property in Seaside Heights, N.J., Dec. 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

On Monday night, an attorney for the property’s current owner presented a new plan that largely resembled that of the previous proposal. Designed by noted architect Jason Hanrahan, the 5.5-story building would still include the 48 residential units, though the layout would be slightly modified. The building would include a large gym on the first floor for residents, and a commercial space about 1,100 square feet in area.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s a coastal modern aesthetic,” said Hanrahan. “It\u2019s a mix of stucco, wood cladding and fiber-cement panels. It\u2019s gives it a modern look. The overall intent of the project is a mixed-use residential building that activates the streetscape and allows for pedestrian access, bicycle storage and an active lifestyle at the beach.”<\/p>\n

The building would also include 72 parking spaces built into the structure below the dwelling units, with the portion facing the Boulevard district being glazed to blend in with the modern streetscape design that is called-for in the redevelopment plan. The parking would be for residents and guests only, and would be accessed from an 18-foot-wide driveway on Franklin Avenue. The building would include 40 two-bedroom units, six two-bedroom units with a loft, and two three-bedroom penthouse units. The configuration of the units was modified to allow for a more cohesive layout of the penthouses, Hanrahan said. The first floor would include ten units and amenities, then 12 units each on the second and third floors in an L-shaped pattern, followed by the larger loft and penthouse units on the top floors.<\/p>\n

\"Renderings<\/a>

Renderings of the mixed-use complex proposed to replace the former Bamboo nightclub in Seaside Heights, April 2026. (Planning Document)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Renderings<\/a>

Renderings of the mixed-use complex proposed to replace the former Bamboo nightclub in Seaside Heights, April 2026. (Planning Document)<\/p><\/div>\n

“Overall, it really does comply with the spirit and intent of the redevelopment plan,” said Paul Greigel, a licensed planner representing the borough. “I know there are some modifications from what we saw previously, but the issues were worked out, and from a design point of view, this was the intention of the type and size of building, and the mix of uses, that the plan contemplates.”<\/p>\n

While all members of the board agreed that the building’s “modern coastal” design was something of a work of art, some minor details \u2013 and one major issue \u2013 remained. First, board members agreed that the building’s color scheme should appear lighter, in order to contrast with the nearby Coastal Edge complex (built on the neighboring property that once hosted Bamboo’s sister-club, Karma) and in better compliance with the redevelopment zone’s specifications. They also balked at the proposal to handle garbage collection by having each unit place cans on the street for Public Works rather than utilizing a dumpster or chute system that would be handled by a private hauler. Officials feared the presence of 48 garbage cans on the street would detract from the look of the building, and cause further problems if the building’s occupants were renters. The same issues would crop up during recycling collections, they surmised.<\/p>\n

The major issue remaining at the end of the work session was what many board members saw as a lack of commercial space along the Boulevard. The redevelopment plans for most of the major parcels along the central artery in town call for mixed-use construction in order to foster a walkable downtown business district that would feature shops and restaurants different from those that would normally be found along the boardwalk. The 1,100 square feet of space was deemed inadequate by several board members, who believed that very few businesses would be able to operate in such a small area. Restaurant uses were almost completely ruled out since the building could not be easily retrofitted with a venting system without having the exhaust blown out to the street or to the top of the building where it would likely bother residents.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The former Bamboo Bar property in Seaside Heights, N.J., Dec. 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Renderings<\/a>

Renderings of the mixed-use complex proposed to replace the former Bamboo nightclub in Seaside Heights, April 2026. (Planning Document)<\/p><\/div>\n

“You\u2019re going to have a big building, it\u2019s going to look beautiful, it\u2019s going to be sold out, but we\u2019re going to have a storage room along the Boulevard,” said board member Sal Irizary, reiterating the point that few full-service businesses could survive in such a small space, and the commercial portion of the building might sit empty and be used for storage.<\/p>\n

Irizary said a lack of sufficient commercial space in mixed-use projects has been a lesson learned from previous building efforts where spaces were left unoccupied despite the residential portions seeing major demand.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re trying to be a full-time community,” said Irizary. “We live here full-time. I see it \u2013 it\u2019s going to be vacant. There are still spaces in town that have been for lease going on two or three years because they\u2019re not functional.”<\/p>\n

Hanrahan said he would work with the property owner to research potential modifications before the board hears the proposal at a formal meeting on the record, which traditionally ends in a vote by the board to either approve or deny the application. Despite the call for changes, the representatives at the meeting said they intend to present their final plan to the board at its May 4 meeting, set for 6 p.m. in the borough council chambers.<\/p>\n

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The owner of the former Bamboo nightclub property in Seaside Heights has proposed a five-story, 48-unit complex with ground-level commercial space to finally occupy the parcel following its demolition in 2021. Representatives of the owner, a Toms River company, appeared at a work session of the borough planning board on Monday to pitch an updated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,5],"tags":[1668,80,1959,81,20],"class_list":["post-18465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seaside-government","category-seaside-heights","tag-bamboo","tag-boulevard","tag-featured","tag-redevelopment","tag-seaside-heights-nj-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bamboo_2026_1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgsn9q-4NP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18465"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18477,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18465\/revisions\/18477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}