Jersey Shore Iconic Restaurant and Motel to Yield to Luxury Homes Development
The popular Chef Mike’s Atlantic Bar & Grill and Island Beach Motor Lodge will be demolished to make room for an expensive residential development in South Seaside Park. Both 24th Street and Central Avenue homes will change hands on October 1. The new owners say demolition of the motel will commence later that month.
After 29 years, the family-owned Island Beach Motor Lodge will close in October. Chef Mike’s Atlantic Bar & Grill will operate until December 31, but its liquor license will expire in October. It will be renamed Atlantic Grill and become BYOB. Chef Mike Jurusz, the owner, announced this on social media in September.
Construction will begin on parcels closest to Central Avenue and move toward the coastline to add 16 premium residences. Two properties will have oceanfront access, while the rest will be on 23rd and 25th Avenues. Home sizes range from 3,000 to 3,400 square feet, with four to five bedrooms, several bathrooms, and rooftop terraces on every floor. Price estimates vary, but coastal properties are expected to be expensive.
The project is called Island Beach Estates. Arya Properties, based in Island Heights, highlights the project’s beautiful coastal position, just from Island Beach State Park and pristine dunes and open shoreline. The developer’s spokesman said one seaside and two internal lots are reserved early.
With developments in Bayville, Lacey Township, Jackson, and Wall Township, Arya Properties has regional development experience.
Residents and visitors will see a major change in this Jersey Shore area. Locals and visitors have long visited Chef Mike’s for its seaside atmosphere and regional charm. The restaurant owner, facing a lease expiration and redevelopment pressure, has emotional reservations but will honor final bookings and invite customers to make new memories in its remaining months. The transformation from eating hotspot and motel to affluent residential enclave shows rising desire for luxury coastal homes and shoreline development.
Sources
Patch New Jersey (Luxury Homes To Replace Popular Jersey Shore Restaurant & Bar)
Shorebeat (Beloved South Seaside Park Restaurant Will Remain Open As Developer Seeks to Demolish Block)
NJ 101.5 (One of NJ Shore’s Best Restaurants Is Closing After This Season)
APP (Chef Mike’s ABG to Close After Summer)
943 The Point (Chef Mike’s Atlantic Bar & Grill Closing)
