TOMS RIVER - The township should soon own the Red Carpet Inn.

Assistant Township Attorney Anthony Merlino said Toms River is completing environmental reviews of the 50-room motel site, which is located in the downtown at the corner of Main and Water streets.

The environmental assessment is one of the last steps before Toms River can take title to the motel property. Township officials have said the plan is to demolish the motel, which Toms River declared a "nuisance" last November.

The nuisance charge was filed about one month after police raided the motel and arrested 15 people — 11 men and one woman — on drug distribution and drug possession charges.

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Police officers said they had responded to more than 750 incidents at the Red Carpet Inn from 2015 to 2017.

In part because of issues at the inn and other motels in town, the Township Council adopted an ordinance earlier this year to punish owners of so-called "nuisance properties." Learn more in the video above this story.

"Those are nearly complete and we have not discovered anything significant thus far," Merlino said of environmental investigations at the site.

Merlino said the township is "in the process of arranging a closing date. Our goal is to have this wrapped up in the next three to six weeks, at the latest the end of the year."

In May, the Township Council agreed to pay $3.3 million to purchase the motel property.

The council supported bonding a total of $4.8 million for the motel purchase, which also includes $500,000 that will be used for asbestos removal, and $1 million to for demolition of the Red Carpet and construction of a flood prevention berm on the property.

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The berm is needed to protect surrounding areas from flooding by the nearby Toms River during storms.

The motel is assessed at $3.75 million, according to Ocean County tax records. It's owned by 2 West Water Street LLC, whose sole managing member is Kartik Patel.

Township officials and downtown business owners have said that demolishing the Red Carpet Inn will give a major boost to plans for redeveloping Toms River's downtown.

Redevelopment plans include multifamily housing and encouraging new businesses, including microbreweries and craft distilleries.

The downtown's first microbrewery, Hops on Main, is expected to open at 69 Main St. soon.

Jean Mikle: 732-643-4050, @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com