CARTERET – The municipality will receive bids later this month for the construction of a three-season restaurant pavilion on the water.
The plans call for a 70-by-150-foot, 3,220-square-foot steel and wood pavilion that will be in use from spring through fall, as well as a 6-by-80-foot entry gangway on Veteran’s Pier in Waterfront Park, according to Mayor Daniel J. Reiman, who added, the pavilion will be connected to Veteran’s Pier.
A pre-bid conference for the project was held earlier this week at Carteret Waterfront Park along the Arthur Kill and according to the RFP, bids for the project should be received by the council by June 25.
“Great things continue to happen for our beautiful waterfront, increasing its appeal as a destination for residents and visitors,” Reiman said. “The pavilion will be a welcome addition to the many popular waterfront events that the council regularly hosts, including our Independence Day Festival, Latin Fest and weekly summer concerts.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection recently approved a Water Framework Directive water permit and a water quality certificate, authorizing the construction of the restaurant pavilion.
This is the second time the city has bid on the project, said Bob Makin, the city’s public information officer and director of community and economic development. Makin said the town has received a $1.5 million grant from the province, but does not know how much the project will cost.
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Concurrent with the pavilion is a 25-foot cooking trailer built by Maryland-based Mobile Kitchens USA. The mobile kitchen will be located in Waterfront Park, near the gazebo.
Waterfront Park also includes recreational facilities such as a marina, mini golf course, putting green, volleyball court, practice course and bocce ball court.
Construction is currently underway on an extension of the north and south pier along the waterfront, and future plans include a film studio and hotel with rooftop amenities, restaurants and shops adjacent to the Carteret Intermodal Transportation Building, which will also include rooftop amenities , restaurants and shops. as well as office space, a bar-lounge and ferry service to New York City.
More: What will the Carteret ferry terminal look like? ‘Think of Grand Central Station’
According to Reiman, Carteret’s waterfront was residential and public more than 100 years ago, but in the 1890s chemical companies acquired the properties, tore down the colonial mansions along the waterfront and created a “chemical shoreline.”
During his 21-year term in office, the Reiman government took back these properties.
“We went after DuPont Chemical, US Metals,” Reiman said. “We have filed and won natural resource damage lawsuits against all of these polluters, demanding that they provide public space, open space and waterfront access. Taking these properties back requires them to clean up the property and pay civil penalties to the municipality we use to provide these public services.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Carteret NJ waterfront may get a restaurant pavilion
