MANCHESTER TWP., N.J. — Manchester Township is rapidly becoming the focus of real estate and development interest in Ocean County, as rising land prices in nearby towns push investors westward in search of open space and opportunity.
While towns like Lakewood, Jackson, and Toms River have seen land values soar amid a wave of residential construction, Manchester still offers comparatively low prices—between $60,000 and $80,000 per acre—drawing a growing number of buyers hoping to capitalize before the market peaks.
“It’s like the Gold Rush out here right now,” one investor told Shore News Network. “Everyone is buying up what they can and hoping Manchester becomes the next Jackson in a few years.”
To meet the rising demand, local officials are working to extend utilities and approve zoning changes for multiple residential and commercial projects currently under review. The township’s planning board adopted a new zoning map in March and updated code enforcement standards, aiming to maintain property values and guide future growth.
This puah for shared utility services in Jackson was championed by former Mayor Robert Arace.
Manchester also announced an 8.17% budget increase this year, driving a push to attract new ratables and stabilize municipal finances. Former Mayor Robert Arace, now serving as an Ocean County Commissioner, has previously cited the need for “smart planning” to balance development with preserving the township’s suburban character.
It is Arace who laid out the framework for Manchester impending growth spurt.
But as land deals accelerate, political influence has come under renewed attention.
Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump in 2021 after a federal conviction, now plays a central role in Manchester’s development agenda. Gilmore, whose allies dominate the township council, has close ties to public contracts and real estate lobbying efforts across the county.
Gilmore is a very close ally to former mayor, Robert Arace. Gilmore was instrumental in propelling Arace to the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and is now touting him as the ‘next Republican governor of New Jersey’ after the loss of Bill Spadea to Jack Ciattarelli.
A $20.5 million land sale in August involving GOP donor Larry Bathgate and the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust has drawn scrutiny. Bathgate’s 89.57-acre parcel sold at a premium over market value, followed shortly by political contributions from Bathgate and family members to Gilmore-aligned campaigns.
Gilmore’s wife, Joanne, is a partner in Morgan Municipal Services, a firm created shortly after his conviction and run by ally and Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi. The firm has taken on several municipal contracts once held by Gilmore’s former law office.
Meanwhile, development proposals for high-density housing, townhomes, and apartments continue to move through Manchester’s approval process, alongside plans to fund EMS and veteran care services through expanded tax revenue. Environmental limits remain a key concern as the township straddles the New Jersey Pinelands, where growth is subject to regulatory oversight.
Manchester officials are now tasked with balancing investor interest, political influence, and long-term community needs as the township transitions from quiet outpost to a central player in Ocean County’s ongoing building boom.
Manchester is drawing investor attention like never before, but behind the deals and development lies a growing debate over power, influence, and transparency.
