TOMS RIVER, NJ – Downtown Toms River is on the verge of a population explosion if Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill can complete his vision. That vision is a downtown center with multiple hi-rise apartment buildings atop shops, restaurants and other businesses he hopes will take root in his new downtown center.
The problem is, downtown Toms River was never built to be a city like New Brunswick, Asbury Park or Long Branch. The only access into the downtown area from major roads, including the Garden State Parkway, Route 9 and Route 37 are sleepy two-lane thoroughfares.
In order to move the volume of people Hill wants to bring into the downtown area, he needs to construct a loop similar to many other cities in America.
Some well-known loops are the Capital Beltway and the Baltimore Loop. For Toms River, Hill needs to build the “Downtown Toms River Loop” a multimillion project to create a loop that will turn Water Street and Herflicker Boulevard into a one-way circular road, with up to four lanes in certain areas possibly.
The problem is, Herflicker Boulevard needs to be raised. It’s prone to constant flooding, which would essentially gridlock the entire downtown area if it was not raised before the loop project begins.
This week, Hill was dealt a blow when his line of credit to build the loop to compliment funding by the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grant. It is courtesy of President Joe Biden’s administration, like Hill, Biden wants to see New Jersey build more high-density affordable housing to lower the entry point for home ownership.
The project will create a loop between the Garden State Parkway and the waterfront business district by elevating and reconstructing Herflicker Boulevard as a complete one-way street, converting Water Street to a complete one-way street, and making roadway improvements and upgrades on connecting roadways.
Although Hill’s funding bill was defeated, he announced on Saturday that he would be bringing the bill back to the town council for another vote in the near future. For now, the entire downtown redevelopment project appears to be on hold until the council votes to approve it.
Without the $14 million line of credit, Mo Hill’s downtown hi-rise plans are on hold.