ORTLEY BEACH, NJ – The Toms River Township council approved a $212,000 contract for the demolition of the scarred remnants of the former Joey Harrison’s Surf Club. After a nearly decade-long blight in the community by the former owner, the township paid $8 million this year to purchase the land, but that purchase did not include demolition of the now ancient structures that were left to decay by the former owner.
Destroyed in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy, the Surf Club was one of the last remaining structures that were not raised in the months and years after the storm.
The project was awarded to Two Brothers Contracting, based out of Totowa, New Jersey.
The surf club purchase was made possible by a shady land swap by Ocean County Board of Commissioner Virginia Haines in which the county received swamp land around Cattus Island Park and Ocean County College. In return, Haines, who heads the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust funneled $1.88 million to the township of Toms River from county funds to help Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill complete his surf club land deal.