By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
An old house in Sea Isle City dating to 1900 awaits its fate.
The modest home at 8505 Landis Ave. was supposed to be demolished to make room for a mixed-use project combining commercial and residential space, but now it is up for sale for nearly $1 million.
In recent years, the house has been the focus of a series of redevelopment plans. None of those plans have panned out so far. Online real estate records indicate the home was built in 1900.
ENR Investments LLC, a Swainton company listed as the property owner, received Sea Isle Planning Board approval in November 2022 to redevelop the site for a mixed-use project featuring commercial space on the first two floors and a residential unit on the third story.
However, the development has not been built and the old house remains standing at the corner of 85th Street and Landis Avenue in the Townsends Inlet section of Sea Isle. Donald Wilkinson, listed as the attorney representing ENR Investments, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Now, the property is listed for sale at $995,000. The listing touts the site for its potential as a mixed-use development that would include commercial space on the first two floors and a luxurious three-bedroom residential unit on the third story featuring “breathtaking ocean views from the deck.”
“This property is perfect for a variety of uses. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity. The owner is open to considering all offers. This offering is for the existing property and includes plans for the proposed mixed-use dwelling,” the sales listing says.
An architectural rendering shows the proposed mixed-use development.
No demolition permit has been issued for the old house yet, according to Sea Isle’s construction office.
At different times, consideration has been given to possibly renovating the house to save it, tearing it down to build a new home or redeveloping the property for mixed use. Ultimately, the developer decided to go with a mixed-use project.
The house served as a private residence for more than 90 years after it was built in 1900. It was converted into an office for a realty company in 1992, but has remained vacant in recent years other than a construction company using it as a small office and storage space.
There has been a sign in the front window of the house for MJ Builders & Development Group, a Sea Isle-based company that specializes in residential construction. At last word, MJ Builders was owned by Michael O’Neill and his son, Brian O’Neill.
Brian O’Neill is the principal of ENR Investments. Planning Board documents identify Brian O’Neill and ENR as the owner of the property.
If the old house is eventually torn down to make way for mixed-use development, it will be part of an increasingly popular trend in Sea Isle. In recent years, a number of old homes have been demolished for mixed-use projects, which usually include restaurants or retail shops on the first floor and condos on the top two stories.
Projects combining commercial and residential space have been in favor in Sea Isle ever since the city changed its zoning laws in 2008 to encourage mixed-use construction.
The 124-year-old house at 8505 Landis Ave. has a gray home from the same era next door.
