Asbury Park residents urge council to enforce redevelopment agreements, preserve Convention Hall and casino

Public comments at an Asbury Park City Council meeting centered on calls for the city to enforce redevelopment agreements and protect landmark waterfront properties the community says have been neglected by developer Madison Marquette.

Several speakers recounted decades of redevelopment history and argued the council already has contractual tools to declare default, repurchase properties and strip redevelopment rights. Charles Latta, who said he helped form a nonprofit to try to save the buildings decades ago, warned the town will lose the structures without aggressive action and offered to help the city solicit grants and private support. "If this council does not take aggressive action to repair these buildings or take them back... then we're gonna lose these buildings," Latta said.

Thomas Deseno, who described himself as a fourth-generation Asbury Park visitor and longtime meeting attendee, told the council a petition with thousands of signatures was circulating and pressed the body to consider litigation: "They're gonna give you about a month to make a decision in suing Madison Marquette," he said. Kristen O'Meara, who identified herself from Ocean Grove, argued the city's written legal opinions and notices of default support enforcement and urged the council to move quickly to "start taking these buildings back" if Madison Marquette continues to ignore obligations. "The casino is not only beloved here," O'Meara said. "It's ... falling apart on our watch."

The city attorney reminded the public that discussion of some waterfront litigation matters was constrained and advised that a detailed presentation from redevelopment counsel Joe Myers Eady is scheduled for next week at the high school. The attorney said that presentation will address history, parties' rights, what the city can and cannot do and potential remedies; he encouraged questions to be directed there rather than on the current meeting's public-comment docket.

Council members did not take formal action on Madison Marquette at the meeting. Multiple speakers said they will organize and pursue independent legal options if the city declines to enforce default provisions. The next public step announced by city staff is the redevelopment counsel's presentation, after which residents and the council are expected to have more detailed information about legal options and timelines.