SHIP BOTTOM – Once you cross over the bridge onto Long Beach Island, the construction projects are hard to miss. The building going on in the heart of Ship Bottom is not only going to add new vacation destinations to the island, but they will also revitalize and evolve the area, according to Mayor William Huelsenbeck.

The first thing you see once you exit the Causeway and arrive in Ship Bottom is the construction of the soon-to-be Hotel LBI. Where The Stateroom hotel and wedding venue used to sit will now be a 105-room, Victorian style hotel.

“In some ways, it is changing…In other ways, we are renewing the old, restoring what we once had,” stated Huelsenbeck back in May.

The owner of this property is Christopher Vernon, owner of three other large properties in the area, including The Bonnett Island Estate, Mallard Island, and The Mainland at The Holiday Inn.

The property is located on West 8th Street and extends its domain slightly to West 9th Street. Residents and beach-goers can expect to see a 105-room hotel with a banquet hall, lounge restaurant and bar, and an indoor swimming pool, according to township records.

Not only this, but it is also going to be the tallest building on the island at 45 feet.

According to a resolution for Hotel LBI dated 2017, the applicant, The Baldwin Residence, LLC, proposed the hotel have 105 rooms, consisting of 86 studio units, 8 one-bedroom units, 9 two-bedroom units and 2 bridal suites. There will be a banquet/reception hall with a restaurant, which will reportedly be available for use by those other than hotel guests when not used for banquets. The property will also have billiards, a library, a guest lounge, a breakfast and dining area, an indoor swimming pool, and a roof top deck.

The resolution stated that the property will have 205 parking spaces, 19 of which will be located at Lot 3 Block 103, which is near the CVS Pharmacy in Ship Bottom. Some parking will be located underneath the structure.

Vernon and representatives from the property’s contractor, Mercer Management Company, did not respond to comment as of print time.

Condominiums

A little down the way, we will soon see two, three-story apartment buildings. These are located at 101–107 West 9th Street, surrounded by 9th Street to the South, Long Beach Boulevard to the East, 8th Street to the North and Central Avenue to the West.

Shore Prospects, LLC made an application to the Land Use Review Board for the construction of the two buildings, each housing 12 apartments, for a total of 24 apartments with a courtyard and a pool, according to a resolution.

The new apartment complex will be coined The Arlington Beach Club. The site sits on 1 acre of property, which used to be an Exxon gas station. The site has since been renovated and the underground tanks removed to accommodate the new structure.

Construction broke ground in January and is expected to be completed by November of this year.

The proposed units will each have three bedrooms, two baths, and their own personal deck, according to property developer and owner Nick Garofolo.

“These are not your ordinary condos,” said Garofolo.

The complex will also include an adult only hot tub area and a 35 x 35 pool with a tiki bar area, storage units and men’s and women’s locker rooms. The complex with be separated by a courtyard as well as have barbeque areas and elegant landscaping.

Garofolo noted that the look of this building is meant to be a throwback to the old Jersey Shore, with white trimmings and a very elegant design.

In a central location on the boulevard near both Surf City and Ship Bottom, the condos will provide easy access to the beach, as well as shopping, restaurants, and night life.

Garofolo also said that there will be parking located underneath the raised building. Some 24 parking spaces will be under the building while 32 parking spots are proposed on the exterior.

Garofolo wants the Arlington Beach Club to have a high-end feel and be a place for those desiring a long-stay vacation. Unit rentals are limited to one month minimum, he said.

Prices are not yet figured, he added, but the units are expected to be for sale sometime in July.

Both additions to commercial Ship Bottom will have limited access points and are not expected to have significant impacts on surrounding traffic, according to officials.