Springfield Inn Redevelopment Project Granted State Approval

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI The buyers of the landmark Springfield Inn have received a crucial waterfront development permit allowing them to move ahead with plans to transform the site into a new restaurant, outdoor bar and banquet complex topped by condominiums. A Pennsylvania-based investment group that is acquiring the Springfield plans to demolish the existing building to make room for a three-story project capitalizing on the beachfront location. As part of the regulatory approvals for the project, the buyers first had to obtain a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The project has been revised from the original plans, requiring the DEP to take a second look before signing off on the Springfield’s redevelopment. After months of review, the CAFRA permit was approved on April 1, documents show. Janet DeLorenzo, a real estate agent representing the buyers, could not be reached for comment Friday. In previous interviews, DeLorenzo said the investors want to preserve the Springfield’s iconic name by retaining it when the property is redeveloped. They also plan to keep the name of the Springfield’s popular outdoor Carousel Bar, according to planning documents. An architectural rendering depicts the three-story restaurant, bar, banquet hall and condominium complex that will replace Springfield Inn. The Springfield’s coveted beachfront location at 43rd Street and Pleasure Avenue makes it a strong candidate for redevelopment. It is the only beachfront business in Sea Isle City that has a liquor license. Springfield Inn, a fixture in Sea Isle since 1972, was on the market for more than a year for $6.7 million. It has not yet been disclosed how much the new buyers are paying or whether they have even completed the purchase. With a grand party, the Springfield celebrated its last day in business on Sept. 21, 2019. To redevelop the now-closed property, the investors will have to obtain a demolition permit from Sea Isle’s construction office. No application has been made yet for the demolition permit, a construction employee said Friday. Sea Isle’s planning board approved the proposed project last September. Plans call for a new restaurant and outdoor bar on the first level of the complex. The rest of the project will include a banquet hall on the second floor and four upscale condos on the third floor. According to a planning board resolution, the project is supposed to include a garage on the first floor that will have nine parking spaces. However, the CAFRA permit says that four residential parking spaces and one handicap-accessible parking space are planned. Customers raise their hands and drinks in tribute to the Springfield Inn while celebrating the bar's last day on Sept. 21, 2019. The new group taking ownership of the Springfield Inn is called HKM43 LLC. It is an acronym for the initials of the last names of the buyers as well as a reference to the Springfield’s location on 43rd Street. The three investors will each own a 33.3 percent stake, documents show. They include Brian Halligan, of Flourtown, Pa., John Krinis, of Glenside, Pa., and Chris Myers, of Blue Bell, Pa., according to the planning board documents. Halligan is the owner and managing partner of MEH Investments, a company that has developed commercial, residential and apartment projects in the Philadelphia area. The Springfield Inn opened in 1972 under the ownership of the Bisciotti family. Sisters Betsy Cooney, Terry Eidenberg and Joanne Bisciotti have followed their parents, Joe and Liz Bisciotti, as the Springfield’s owners.