Carteret, NJ – Mayor Dan Reiman joined Raj Bhagia owner/operator of RJ Hospitality Group to announce the approval of a Marriott Courtyard Hotel on Roosevelt Ave in West Carteret. The redevelopment is part of the West Carteret Minue Street Retail Redevelopment Area. The site located at 1239 Roosevelt Avenue is the location of a former diner and commercial building on a 45,000 sq. ft. lot that ceased operations many years ago.
RJ Hospitality will demolish the two existing structures and replace them with an 8-story, 125 room hotel. The first floor will contain a reception area, fitness center, lounge (bar) and conference center. The 2nd through 8th floor will contain hotel rooms. The lounge will have an outside patio for dining. The plans include site improvements such as pressed concrete and pavers in the parking lot, installation of sidewalks and increased lighting for both esthetics and safety. “Marriott’s decision to locate and to invest $16 million dollars here acknowledges the progress we have made in realizing our vision of a revitalized community and the potential of the West Carteret commercial corridor,” said Mayor Reiman, “and there is a lot more to come.”
“The replacement of an abandoned site with a Premier national brand hotel will bring tangible and intangible benefits including hundreds of thousands of new dollars in tax revenue to the Borough. In addition, the project will bring 50 new temporary full time union construction jobs and 30-40 permanent jobs at the hotel once open,” said Mayor Reiman. “I am proud to be a part of the revitalization of West Carteret,” said Raj Bhagia.
The West Carteret Commercial area is currently undergoing a Façade replacement project with a 50% business participation grant for eligible properties. The Carteret Business Partnership (CBP) and eleven businesses in West Carteret coordinated efforts to create a unified, consistent and aesthetically pleasing look. The intent of the project was to increase the appeal of the area to attract new businesses and more customers to existing businesses. The Carteret Business Partnership has incentivized participation by awarding a matching grant to businesses who participate in the program for facades, awnings and signage.
The zone, known as the West Carteret Minue Street Retail Redevelopment Area, was instituted in 2005 by Mayor Dan Reiman and the Borough Council. The intent was to create a rubric to revitalize the area by establishing a set of standards that would be adopted to make the area more appealing to prospective business owners and increase revenue for existing businesses alike while attracting new investment. Since the inception of the area, Carteret has attracted, The Executive Suites Hotel, Federal Business Centers, Fedex, NASDAQ, a PC Richards Super center, Snapple, NuWorld Cosmetics, and Serta-Simmons along with many other commercial office and warehouse/manufacturing operators.
Carteret’s proximity to New York City, the New Jersey Turnpike, the ports in Elizabeth and Newark International Airport make it an ideal location for businesses and commuters alike. “The Borough will continue to invest in the infrastructure necessary to grow our community. We will improve the traffic flow on Roosevelt Ave in West Carteret, the update, when completed, will reduce traffic,” said Mayor Reiman.
A formal ground breaking will be scheduled in the fall to coincide with the demolition of the existing site and the start of construction.
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