The long planned Trump on the Ocean project at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh has been scrapped.
Famed real estate develop Donald Trump and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced Wednesday that as a result of damages to Jones Beach caused by Hurricane Sandy, the proposed restaurant and catering facility will not be built.
The Trump development, which was held up in litigation from 2008-2012 due to a state objection to plans for a basement in a flood zone before being given a green light to proceed last June, was to be built where the Boardwalk Café formerly operated before closing in 2003.
State officials said the location of the planned two-story building totaling 86,000 square feet along with visitor parking “was entirely flooded and experienced battering waves” during the Oct. 29 superstorm.
“Because of the great tragedy of Hurricane Sandy, which has been incredibly devastating to Long Island as a whole, and Jones Beach in particular, we have mutually decided that it is an inappropriate time to build a luxury restaurant and banquet facility at Jones Beach,” Trump said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision for me to make as The Trump Organization was ready, willing and able to build and commence construction next year.”
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“Hurricane Sandy has opened everyone’s eyes to the potential risks of building directly on the oceanfront,” said New York State Commissioner Rose Harvey in a statement Wednesday. “Looking over the coming decades, as we face sea level rise and the threat of future damaging storms, we have concluded that building a major new facility directly on the oceanfront, on the scale of the Trump project, is not prudent policy. While I appreciate Donald Trump’s long-standing commitment to this initiative, we have jointly decided to end consideration of the project.”
Trump had planned to invest more than $24 million in private funds to develop the project , which he first conceived in 2006. He was also due to make rent payments totaling around $13 million throughout a 40-year lease that would have been used to help maintain Jones Beach and other state parks.
Wednesday's announcement of Trump on the Ocean being dead was welcomed news to longtime Nassau County activist Patricia Friedman of Garden City Park, who was a staunch opponent of project. Friedman said she hopes a family-style restaurant will now be built at the site.
“God works in strange places," said Friedman of how Hurricane Sandy led to the ultimate scrapping of the catering hall. "It took Sandy to wake them up."
Harvey said that State Parks workers will remove debris and clean up the site where Trump had planned to build his new business. She said in 2013 after millions in damages throughout Jones Beach has been addressed, "the State Parks agency will initiate a planning process to determine the best future use of the area.”
Aw come on i was soooooooooooooooooooooo looking forward to another casino ! lmao. only kidding... Perhaps the powers above have decided that the only food belonging on the beach are good old fashion hot dog and ice cream stands and a return to famlies packing a lunch. While maybe a blow to the prospect if increased local employment this could be a very good thing for family values and a return to an era where the beach IS the destination not the commerce AT the beach.
Neither one is very big, and they do not seem to represent huge investments (to be put at risk by nature and the weather). They seem to be "right-sized" for the seasonal nature of the Beach business.
And here is the rediculous part, this is your statement at 8:44 this morning "Perhaps the powers above have decided that the only food belonging on the beach are good old fashion hot dog and ice cream stands and a return to famlies packing a lunch.", but 2 hours later you have another completely contradictory statement. why? No need to respond, Lorraine, everyone knows. But I submit to the jury, she will, and will, and will and will.............AND WILL. Disclaimer: This is not a personal attack, just a statement of fact backed by facts from this same string, written by Lorraine DeVita, and reiterated by me, so as not to violate any T&C that are written by the Patch, and construed by the public, as such, and to not violate any usage determined by users or others as to the usage of this site as to the use of these lines for subsequent use. Fair?
. I can also say with some certainty that food trucks, have LOW overhead because two friends who are retired from owning 2 successful rest one in NYC and another in LA own a very successful food truck operation in LA beach areas in Cal. , that the COST to own and operate a food truck is a heck of a lot lower then owning a brick and mortar building. Additonaly having family IN the rest business, i can also say after conferring witht them that they too agree the COSt to own and operate a food truck is exceedingly lower . So Patrick, once again i will reply,instead of making this personal and targeting my posts why havent you singled out anyone else, and look forwrd to your repsonding to my question which is what would YOU suggest or recommend for this site at Jones beach. Do you have anything relevant to add to the topic or again is it yet again personal?Patrick You seem fixated. I have no problem with someone countering my posts, especialy if they have something relevant to add to the topic and the discussion. So again what do suggest for the Jones beach site ....
I ask you which beaches have and do not have high end rest. Your response....you tell everyone where you have vacationed. I ask YOU if YOU know the cost of buying and operating a food truck. Your response....I know these people who do these things, but no answer. I am on topic. You make statements "on topic", I ask you to expound on those statements and to tell everyone what factual basis you have used to make these statements. You, for some reason, can not back these statements directly. You know someone who has..... I have been here, there and everywhere. Nothing concrete, nothing yours. Never a direct answer, always deflection. And then you expect me to answer your questions? So I will, because I don't want to have my name associated with someone who can not answer direct questions. I had no problem with what Trump was proposing, and it is to bad this has fallen through. A top notch restaurant with ocean views would be a draw to what is now an empty space. For you to say that a fleet of "food trucks" would be a suitable alternative is just rediculous, as it is not a solution for the existing problem. Just as an aside, I have been to every locale that you have listed, and can firmly state that with very few exceptions, all beaches in those locations have restaurants that run the gamit of tastes, from low end food shacks (some of the best food) to five star joints. If you would be interested, I can certainly list a few from each locale.
By the way, my name is Hilarity, I do not know who this Patrick character you are associating me with is. Your turn.
In their honor we need to find someone to create a building could provide wonderful food, outside dining, maybe a rooftop observation area, a porch with rocking chairs , a lobby with a warm cozy seating by a fire in the winter months, music, dancing... the possibilities are endless.
He is a smart businessman and Long Isanders do not deserve his positive vision or help. Long Island gets what it deserves... CRAP...
I can not believe what a bunch of negative fools happy that Trump is out. You should all be ashamed in yourselves and stick your head in the sand. As for Patricia Freidman saying: (Key word ACTIVIST) Trump on the Ocean being dead was welcomed news to longtime Nassau County activist Patricia Friedman of Garden City Park, who was a staunch opponent of project. Friedman said she hopes a family-style restaurant will now be built at the site. “God works in strange places," said Friedman of how Hurricane Sandy led to the ultimate scrapping of the catering hall. "It took Sandy to wake them up." She is a really a true Long Island misfit. Go get a check up from the neck up....
;o)
Just saying....