anticipate new use will put stop to vandalism
Old Bridge police
anticipate new use will put stop to vandalism
By sue m. morgan
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI The former Home Depot building on Route 9 near Ernston Road has been abandoned since the home improvement center moved across the street.
OLD BRIDGE — A bowling alley, sports bar, beauty salon, gymnasium and other businesses could all be housed in the former Home Depot building, under a development plan filed with the township’s planning office.
The proposed family entertainment center is welcomed news to township police, who have often been called to the vacant site on Route 9 north near Ernston Road.
Police said there have been continuing incidents of vandalism on the property.
An application by King Sports Plaza LLC of Palisades Park, Bergen County, is scheduled to be heard Aug. 21 by the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Township Engineer John Vincente said.
Interior renovations to convert the vacated Home Depot building into a family entertainment center and sports bar were expected to begin earlier this week, according to Issac Kim, a spokesperson for the Kings Sports.
The applicant obtained permits to begin interior renovations earlier this summer, Vincente said. The building will not be razed, only converted to the newer uses. The applicant is seeking bulk and use variances, according to the application.
Many of the planned uses indicated in the application, including a restaurant, bar, one-hour photo service, Laundromat, beauty salon, health spa and bowling alley are permitted in the community/commercial (CC) zone where the vacant building sits on nearly 10 acres.
The proposed bowling alley would have 26 lanes. The health spa would include a workout area and locker room.
The use variance is needed to allow Kings Sports to build facilities for other proposed uses including laser tag, indoor golf, bumper cars and virtual reality games, documents show.
Other proposed features that would fill one story of the 100,023-square-foot building include private party rooms, a 3,200-square-foot food court, a gift shop, and tanning salon, the application shows.
The applicant also plans to add 30 parking paces for employees to the 403 parking spots there now.
Since Home Depot moved across Route 9 to a newer facility two years ago, the vacated building has been targeted by vandals who have often spray painted it with graffiti, police reports show.
Sgt. Robert Weiss was pleased to hear the site will be resurrected.
"We’re always glad when a vacant building is converted back into a useful space," Weiss said on Friday. "A vacant building is always a hazard because of vandalism."
Kim said the center could be open by Dec. 1.
The Board of Adjustment will hear the application at 8 p.m. in the Township Council chambers in the Old Bridge Municipal Center.