By: Najla Alexander
Carteret officials announced that the Borough soon will accept bids for the construction of a restaurant pavilion on the waterfront.
The Honorable Mayor Daniel J. Reiman said the project entails a 70 by 46-foot, 3,220-square-foot seasonal pavilion that will operate from spring through fall, as well as a 6 by 25-foot access gangway on Veteran’s Pier in Waterfront Park.
“Great things continue to happen for our wonderful waterfront, increasing its appeal as a destination for residents and visitors,” Mayor Reiman said.
“The pavilion will be a welcomed addition to the many popular waterfront events the Borough frequently presents, including our Independence Day Festival, Latin Fest, and weekly summer concert series.”
Officials said the pavilion will be connected to Veteran’s Pier, Mayor Reiman said. Bidders will find an RFP at carteret.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/5146-Pier-Pavilion-RFP.pdf.
Coinciding with the pavilion is a 25-foot cooking trailer under built by Maryland-based Mobile Kitchens USA., officials say, the mobile kitchen will be based in Watefront Park near the gazebo.
Authorities say recreational features within Waterfront Park also include a marina, a mini golf course, a putting green, a volleyball court, an exercise trail, and a bocce court. Current waterfront construction includes an expansion of the northern and southern pier extension.
Future plans include a movie studio and hotel with rooftop amenities, restaurants and retail adjacent to the forthcoming Carteret Intermodal Transportation Building that also will feature rooftop amenities, restaurants and retail, as well as office space, a bar lounge and more, officials stated.
"More than a century ago, Carteret’s waterfront was residential and public, but in the 1890s, chemical companies acquired the properties, took down the colonial mansions along the waterfront and created a “chemical coastline,” Mayor Reiman said.
According to officials, throughout its 21-year tenure, the Reiman administration has been taking back these properties.
“We’ve gone after DuPont Chemical, U.S. Metals,” Mayor Reiman said.
“We’ve sued and won natural resource damages cases against all of these polluters requiring that they provide public space, open space, access to the waterfront. Taking back these properties, requiring them to clean up the properties, to pay civil penalties to the Borough that we’re using to provide these public amenities.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection approved a Water Framework Directive In-Water Permit and a Water Quality Certificate authorizing the construction of the restaurant pavilion, officials said.