By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Giving a sense of urgency to the project, the buyer of the Springfield Inn is requesting a special meeting of the Sea Isle City Zoning Board this month so it can present its plans to demolish the site and build an upscale outdoor bar and restaurant overlooking the beach.
GMH Restaurant Holdings III wants the zoning board to schedule the special meeting for Dec. 22, although it is not yet known whether the board will be able to accommodate the company just three days before Christmas.
“We still await a final response as to whether we can proceed on the 22nd. If that date is not available, we will seek to be heard as soon as possible, based on the availability of the board,” Gary Holloway, founder of GMH, said in a statement Thursday.
In October, Holloway announced plans for GMH to buy the Springfield Inn for an undisclosed price and transform the site into an outdoor bar and restaurant that would open in time for the 2021 summer season.
GMH hopes to begin construction in February, but first must win approval from the zoning board for the project – a step that Holloway is hoping can happen as early as Dec. 22. The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting for the zoning board is Jan. 4.
Once approval is granted by the zoning board for GMH’s project, the company plans to tear down the now-closed Springfield Inn to make room for the outdoor bar and restaurant, dubbed The Point Sea Isle. It will be modeled after the company’s beach-themed outdoor bar in Somers Point, also known as The Point.
“However, demolition cannot proceed until the Zoning Board approves GMH’s pending application,” Holloway said in the statement. “GMH requested a special meeting in December to expedite this process in order to ensure the safety of the site and the residents and to ensure the construction timeline can be met to be open by May.”
The now-closed and deteriorated Springfield Inn has attracted the city’s attention. On Oct. 16, the city issued a “Notice of Unsafe Structure” to the current owners of the Springfield. The notice ordered the owners to repair the property or demolish it.
The Springfield Inn originally opened in 1972 under the ownership of the Bisciotti family. Sisters Betsy Cooney, Terry Eidenberg and Joanne Bisciotti followed their parents, Joe and Liz Bisciotti, as the Springfield’s owners.
Before the Springfield’s sale is completed, the sisters plan to fix up the property in response to the order from the city, according to their real estate representative.
“The owners have hired a contractor to make repairs. More importantly, they are working with GMH to obtain the permits needed to build the beach bar and restaurant so GMH can proceed with demolishing and removing the existing building,” Dustin Laricks, a Sea Isle real estate broker, said in a statement in October.
The Springfield Inn has been on the market for $6.7 million. It has not yet been revealed how much GMH is paying to buy it. 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 that has a liquor license.
GMH hopes to capitalize on the beachfront location for its outdoor bar and restaurant. In contrast to the no-frills Springfield Inn, GMH is planning to turn the property into a decidedly more upmarket attraction.
“Once complete, The Point Sea Isle will provide locals and tourists alike a new, upscale summer establishment to enjoy with friends and family. Our redevelopment plans include an open-air concept with high-quality landscaping that will serve as an exceptional dining and entertainment experience,” Holloway said.
