OT: Long time Sayreville/South Amboy eyesore going away?

[T2Kplus20]

Looked for an existing thread for this story, but nothing seemed appropriate. Hopefully this finally happens!

Redevelopment plan approved for long abandoned N.J. movie theater

The plan provides for the transformation of the underutilized former Amboy Cinemas site in Sayreville.

www.nj.com

 

[rubigtimenow]

Mannnn that was a great theater in a great location. That was our go to place 30-40 years ago.

 

[tico brown]

A shame. That was a great drive and spot.
Pretty good theater as well.

 

[Knight Shift]

Looked for an existing thread for this story, but nothing seemed appropriate. Hopefully this finally happens!

Redevelopment plan approved for long abandoned N.J. movie theater

The plan provides for the transformation of the underutilized former Amboy Cinemas site in Sayreville.

www.nj.com

Eyesore? It hides the old Delihlah's Den or whatever it is called.

Good to see Club XXXV is not going anywhere. Such a fine area that is in, does it matter what goes there? And I'm talking about that IMMEDIATE area right on the Parkway, bounded by Route 35. Not much nice can go there. The nicer residential areas of Sayreville are far from that location.

Sounds like a lot of potential and existing issues:

"Built in a marshy area, Amboy Cinemas’ run came to an end in 2005," -- how will that be addressed with new construction?

"According to the plan, the adjoining waterfront redevelopment area is currently under remediation monitored by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. There is also noted groundwater contamination on adjoining properties which may extend contamination onto the site and all areas are subject to environmental cleanup regulations, the plan says."

"In addition, Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping indicates a major portion of the site is in a flood zone,"

Should something be built on a parcel with so many issues?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I think I have seen a strike zone painted somewhere and I was wondering if someone could be losing a stickball field

 

[RUBubba]

I thought I heard a couple of years ago that Cabelas wanted to put a store there.

 

[Knight Shift]

A shame. That was a great drive and spot.
Pretty good theater as well.

Isn't the one up on Route 1 (think it is New Brunswick) nicer than the Sayreville one in the heyday?

 

[HPNJRUfan]

Looked for an existing thread for this story, but nothing seemed appropriate. Hopefully this finally happens!

Redevelopment plan approved for long abandoned N.J. movie theater

The plan provides for the transformation of the underutilized former Amboy Cinemas site in Sayreville.

www.nj.com

Curious as to your feelings on the ongoing rt.18 redevelopment in EB?

 

[tico brown]

Isn't the one up on Route 1 (think it is New Brunswick) nicer than the Sayreville one in the heyday?

Wouldn’t know. Drove south towards South Anboy.

 

[Plum Street]

It doesn’t seem like it’s going away any time soon .

 

[tico brown]

Eyesore? It hides the old Delihlah's Den or whatever it is called.

Good to see Club XXXV is not going anywhere. Such a fine area that is in, does it matter what goes there? And I'm talking about that IMMEDIATE area right on the Parkway, bounded by Route 35. Not much nice can go there. The nicer residential areas of Sayreville are far from that location.

Sounds like a lot of potential and existing issues:

"Built in a marshy area, Amboy Cinemas’ run came to an end in 2005," -- how will that be addressed with new construction?

"According to the plan, the adjoining waterfront redevelopment area is currently under remediation monitored by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. There is also noted groundwater contamination on adjoining properties which may extend contamination onto the site and all areas are subject to environmental cleanup regulations, the plan says."

"In addition, Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping indicates a major portion of the site is in a flood zone,"

Should something be built on a parcel with so many issues?

Maybe they should make it a natural area again since nothing is going to be built on that spot.

 

[RU4Real]

Eyesore? It hides the old Delihlah's Den or whatever it is called.

Good to see Club XXXV is not going anywhere. Such a fine area that is in, does it matter what goes there? And I'm talking about that IMMEDIATE area right on the Parkway, bounded by Route 35. Not much nice can go there. The nicer residential areas of Sayreville are far from that location.

Sounds like a lot of potential and existing issues:

"Built in a marshy area, Amboy Cinemas’ run came to an end in 2005," -- how will that be addressed with new construction?

"According to the plan, the adjoining waterfront redevelopment area is currently under remediation monitored by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. There is also noted groundwater contamination on adjoining properties which may extend contamination onto the site and all areas are subject to environmental cleanup regulations, the plan says."

"In addition, Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping indicates a major portion of the site is in a flood zone,"

Should something be built on a parcel with so many issues?

Short answer - no.

The theater closed because the structure was failing, due to the aforementioned soil issues. The site should be reclaimed, remediated and offered to the estuary.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Mannnn that was a great theater in a great location. That was our go to place 30-40 years ago.

It was the first BIG multiplex in the area, at least for people that grew up in East Brunswick. Going to the Amboy Cinema was always a special treat.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Eyesore? It hides the old Delihlah's Den or whatever it is called.

Good to see Club XXXV is not going anywhere. Such a fine area that is in, does it matter what goes there? And I'm talking about that IMMEDIATE area right on the Parkway, bounded by Route 35. Not much nice can go there. The nicer residential areas of Sayreville are far from that location.

Sounds like a lot of potential and existing issues:

"Built in a marshy area, Amboy Cinemas’ run came to an end in 2005," -- how will that be addressed with new construction?

"According to the plan, the adjoining waterfront redevelopment area is currently under remediation monitored by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. There is also noted groundwater contamination on adjoining properties which may extend contamination onto the site and all areas are subject to environmental cleanup regulations, the plan says."

"In addition, Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping indicates a major portion of the site is in a flood zone,"

Should something be built on a parcel with so many issues?

+1
This probably should be replaced with a grass field, but not many people (especially pols) have such foresight.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Short answer - no.

The theater closed because the structure was failing, due to the aforementioned soil issues. The site should be reclaimed, remediated and offered to the estuary.

Great candidate for blue acres funding!

 

[T2Kplus20]

Isn't the one up on Route 1 (think it is New Brunswick) nicer than the Sayreville one in the heyday?

IIRC, Amboy Cinemas opened well before the Loews on Route 1. But yes, once that one opened, it replaced Amboy as the go-to-multiplex.

 

[RUfinally2008]

I remember that was a hot bed for stolen cars driven over the Outerbridge and straight to chop shops. I know of 2 friends that had their cars stolen there.

 

[RUBubba]

Had a GREAT time going to see Misery there... ;-)

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

Drive past the Amboy Cinemas everyday. Someone should get the amboy cinemas neon signs off the side of the building for historical purposes. Also, for you strip club denziens Club 35 or xxxv, is closed. Seems they were running drugs and prostetution ring out of the club and they have been shut down since July. Here is an article about club 35 being shut down. https://newjersey.news12.com/police...b-arrested-following-evidence-of-prostitution

 

[Knight Shift]

Drive past the Amboy Cinemas everyday. Someone should get the amboy cinemas neon signs off the side of the building for historical purposes. Also, for you strip club denziens Club 35 or xxxv, is closed. Seems they were running drugs and prostetution ring out of the club and they have been shut down since July. Here is an article about club 35 being shut down. https://newjersey.news12.com/police...b-arrested-following-evidence-of-prostitution

How does @mildone feel about this terrible news?

 

[Knight Shift]

Maybe they should make it a natural area again since nothing is going to be built on that spot.

Probably. See below.

Short answer - no.

The theater closed because the structure was failing, due to the aforementioned soil issues. The site should be reclaimed, remediated and offered to the estuary.

Yes. Or with rising tides, will it eventually become one anyway?

Great candidate for blue acres funding!

We agree here. IIRC, Sayreville did that with a bunch of homes post Sandy. Sometimes it is the smartest thing to do. Building new construction in environmentally sensitive areas and that are flood prone seems to make little sense. Wonder what the developer who purchased the building was thinking when they purchased it?

 

[RUPete]

The weird thing is that you could find movies running there that weren't running too many other places. Saw Das Boot there and Victory - the soccer movie where Sylvester Stallone defeats the Nazis.

 

[BeantownKnight]

Went to a movie there on one of my first dates.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Curious as to your feelings on the ongoing rt.18 redevelopment in EB?

Okay, I may ramble a bit here. Obviously, that portion of Rt. 18 is in desperate need of redevelopment, but EB is truly in a no-win situation. Any new retail/commercial on those locations will just cause other locations on 18 to close and go vacant. EB has WAY TOO MUCH commercially zoned land. Society has changed. The old zoning calculations of sq feet required per X number of residents are outdated.

The only long-term solution is to remove commercial land from the books. This can be done via residential (not preferred), open space, or other services (e.g., indoor sports). The plan allows for too much commercial. Even though residential would be better, EB needs to be careful since adding more will just continue to overload the town's already stressed infrastructure and schools. So, that's not a great idea either.

That said, the plan below for the old Gap/Wiz plaza is pretty good. Less retail than I expected, so hopefully this trend continues. However, the cluster housing number is a concern. I would love to see more green space and activity-based services like indoor sports or rec.

https://www.eastbrunswick.org/DocumentCenter/View/1447/Redevelopment-Plan-for-Area-2A3A-Route-18-PDF

East Brunswick's massive Route 18 redevelopment plan could take first step

The first phase of an ambitious plan for a $500 million mixed-use redevelopment project on Route 18 in East Brunswick is moving closer to construction

www.mycentraljersey.com

 

[T2Kplus20]

Also, for you strip club denziens Club 35 or xxxv, is closed. Seems they were running drugs and prostitution ring out of the club and they have been shut down since July.

The most unsurprising news that I've heard in a long time! :)

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

Where the Amboys theaters are is at the base of the Route 9 bridge, sandwiched between 9 and route 35. Honestly the building should be razed and land remediated and returned to nature.

The location is terrible both from a location point and also from an enviromental point. Its just a really bad location for anything other than a warehouse or Truck stop. Nothing around it except for the raritan river, roads, and industrial businesses. They could put the most beautiful building there and it still wouldn't look right.
From the environmental view, it is at the low spot at the base of two bridges, it is at or slightly above the water table. Any major storm and any building that is there will have water issues. Its just a terrible location for anything to be put there. The state should just buy the land and let it return to nature. Eyesore gone, and natural beauty returns.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Probably. See below.

Yes. Or with rising tides, will it eventually become one anyway?

We agree here. IIRC, Sayreville did that with a bunch of homes post Sandy. Sometimes it is the smartest thing to do. Building new construction in environmentally sensitive areas and that are flood prone seems to make little sense. Wonder what the developer who purchased the building was thinking when they purchased it?

Yes, Sayreville got a lot of blue acres funding after Irene and Sandy. One of the very few good ideas from Trenton. Sadly, it is way underfunded.

 

[Knight Shift]

Where the Amboys theaters are is at the base of the Route 9 bridge, sandwiched between 9 and route 35. Honestly the building should be razed and land remediated and returned to nature.

The location is terrible both from a location point and also from an enviromental point. Its just a really bad location for anything other than a warehouse or Truck stop. Nothing around it except for the raritan river, roads, and industrial businesses. They could put the most beautiful building there and it still wouldn't look right.
From the environmental view, it is at the low spot at the base of two bridges, it is at or slightly above the water table. Any major storm and any building that is there will have water issues. Its just a terrible location for anything to be put there. The state should just buy the land and let it return to nature. Eyesore gone, and natural beauty returns.

Agree.
They could put an EV car lot there, and that would make you happy? 🤣
Seriously, however, might not be a bad place for a bunch of EV charging stations. For male drivers, plenty of "options" within walking distance to stay entertained while the car is charging.

 

[Purple-Ed]

Went there many, many times with girlfriends/wife - they showed movies there?

 

[RU4Real]

IIRC, Sayreville did that with a bunch of homes post Sandy.

Weber Avenue. It was the grand prize winner in the Sandy flood competition, with 18.5 feet of storm surge. Da gummint gave people the option of raising their houses or taking the money. Most opted for the latter and Weber Ave. is now part of the South River branch wetlands.

 

[RU-Kidding]

I thought I heard a couple of years ago that Cabelas wanted to put a store there.

That was part of this project on the south side of the Parkway linked below. Anyone know of the current status of this???

Riverton At Sayreville

 

[robcac26]

That said, the plan below for the old Gap/Wiz plaza is pretty good. Less retail than I expected, so hopefully this trend continues. However, the cluster housing number is a concern. I would love to see more green space and activity-based services like indoor sports or rec.

I'm not sure if it's the same area you're referring to, but there is a new ice rink being built on the corner of 18 and Tices Lane.

 

[RU_DIO]

Eyesore? It hides the old Delihlah's Den or whatever it is called.

Good to see Club XXXV is not going anywhere. Such a fine area that is in, does it matter what goes there? And I'm talking about that IMMEDIATE area right on the Parkway, bounded by Route 35. Not much nice can go there. The nicer residential areas of Sayreville are far from that location.

Sounds like a lot of potential and existing issues:

"Built in a marshy area, Amboy Cinemas’ run came to an end in 2005," -- how will that be addressed with new construction?

"According to the plan, the adjoining waterfront redevelopment area is currently under remediation monitored by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. There is also noted groundwater contamination on adjoining properties which may extend contamination onto the site and all areas are subject to environmental cleanup regulations, the plan says."

"In addition, Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping indicates a major portion of the site is in a flood zone,"

Should something be built on a parcel with so many issues?

Delilah's was where the old City Lights/JJ Rockers was further South on the North Bound side of 35.

 

[T2Kplus20]

I'm not sure if it's the same area you're referring to, but there is a new ice rink being built on the corner of 18 and Tices Lane.

Not the same land, but pretty close. You can see that the Route 18 corridor in EB has a lot of crap to fix. The ice rinks are planned for the old Wonder Bread plant/site near that intersection. It is adjacent to the Kohl's/Lowes complex.

Very good use. That's a winner (as long as the demand for use is there).

 

[Plum Street]

Isn't the one up on Route 1 (think it is New Brunswick) nicer than the Sayreville one in the heyday?

That one in New Brunswick was newer and had stadium seating . Lots of cars stolen out of there too

 

[RU4Real]

Not the same land, but pretty close. You can see that the Route 18 corridor in EB has a lot of crap to fix. The ice rinks are planned for the old Wonder Bread plant/site near that intersection. It is adjacent to the Kohl's/Lowes complex.

Very good use. That's a winner (as long as the demand for use is there).

It's funny, when Jean Walling (former mayor of EB) died in the mid 70s she was hailed as a hero for her diligence in turning Rt 18 into Rt 22.

In hindsight, her legacy is a curse.

 

[e5fdny]

I think I have seen a strike zone painted somewhere and I was wondering if someone could be losing a stickball field

That’s to let guys like me know the building is vacant (the square) and is too dangerous (the X inside) for any inside operations.

 

[tico brown]

Probably. See below.

Yes. Or with rising tides, will it eventually become one anyway?

We agree here. IIRC, Sayreville did that with a bunch of homes post Sandy. Sometimes it is the smartest thing to do. Building new construction in environmentally sensitive areas and that are flood prone seems to make little sense. Wonder what the developer who purchased the building was thinking when they purchased it?

More luxury condos

 

[T2Kplus20]

It's funny, when Jean Walling (former mayor of EB) died in the mid 70s she was hailed as a hero for her diligence in turning Rt 18 into Rt 22.

In hindsight, her legacy is a curse.

+1
Back then, I'm sure the MLUL/zoning standards supported having the entire 18 corridor as commercial/retail. So, I can't blame her. However, you are 100% correct. This zoning is a huge curse for EB. Sadly, it is very hard to get the genie back into the bottle. It would probably require a voter referendum to pass an open space/redevelopment tax to generate funds to buy up vacant land as it becomes available. Add to this, the stupid decision to commercially zone the town's other primary roads.....Summerhill, Ryders, and Cranbury.....EB is in a world of hurt.

It's amazing to think, go back to the 40s or so and EB and Monty looked practically identical. Farming communities, under 10k pop, limited sewer service, and Route 18 and Route 206 just 2 lane roads. EB said yes to expanding 18 and creating a divided highway, yes to commercial zoning to support the buildout of the town, and yes to entering a regional sewer service system. Monty said no to all this.

Results:
EB = 50,000 pop (22 sq miles)
Monty = 24,000 pop (32 sq miles)

Monty's buildout analysis in the early 80s suggest a pop of almost 50,000. The leaders back then said hell no and rezoned the entire town, got an open space tax approved, and never looked back.

 

[tom1944]

It was drive in movie first if I recall correctly