The petition
Four years ago, the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey requested, and was granted, a permit to construct over 3,000 residential units and more than 500,000 square feet of commercial space along the city’s spectacular waterfront. At an estimated cost of $750 million, the project is an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild one of the nation’s most historic beachfront communities.
To obtain the permit, the City of Asbury Park and its waterfront developers signed a legally binding agreement with the State of New Jersey which requires that artifacts from the Palace Amusements, a National Register of Historic Places amusement center demolished in 2004, would be preserved and eventually reused in a new building. The Palace was the most iconic building in Asbury Park, with an environment that excited 10 decades of visitors, and inspired a prolific generation of New Jersey songwriters and performers.
Included among 125 artifacts set aside for preservation are three large wall murals, painted on high-density cinder blocks. Two depict a bumper car scene, while the third is a fun face known as Tillie. Tillie is famous far beyond the Jersey Shore, having made appearances on The Sopranos, The Today Show, and in movies including John Sayles’ “Baby It’s You” and Robert DiNiro’s “City By The Sea.” Bruce Springsteen used Tillie frequently in tour memorabilia, bringing the image to the attention of a worldwide audience. A photo of Tillie, Springsteen and the E Street Band remains one of the most famous early Springsteen photographs.
Although responsible for guaranteeing that no harm comes to the murals, developers in the Asbury Partners/Madison Marquette joint venture have blatantly rejected preservation standards to such an extent that the murals are now in grave danger of decay. In recognition of the threat, Asbury Park’s City Council passed legislation two years ago requiring developers to live up to their obligations; yet as of today, developers have refused to do so. Repeatedly, developers have promised to honor their word, but these promises ring hollow while the very murals which are intended to link Asbury Park’s glory days to its future are being allowed to deteriorate.
THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED call upon the City of Asbury Park and New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine to enforce the preservation requirement in the Asbury Park redevelopment permit before these last iconic images of Asbury Park’s historic amusements era are destroyed.
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