In one day, historic Belmar, NJ landmark is totally gone

The hotel in Belmar, NJ known as the White House is gone, all gone.

Ownership of the hotel has been in place since 1963 and served many vacationers and seasonal employees who wanted a residence-like property for the gainful summer season.

Just steps away from the ocean, the White House had lots of amenities that made it the perfect place to reside for the bustling summer season.

Although listed with hotel status, the property maintained privacy for residents only, assuring that the amenities were only used for that purpose.

White House is sold

In 2017 the owners of the White House decided to sell it. It was tough to keep the property and amenities up, especially with only three to four months of steady revenue coming in.

What many originally thought would be a virtually smooth sales transition from the owners of the White House property to the Down to Earth Construction Company became a tangled legal mess. The property was sold to Down to Earth Construction for $2.4 million.

To paraphrase five years of legal battles, the plans laid out to the Belmar Zoning Board for the site of the White House by Down to Earth Construction included two multi-room townhouses on the property with aesthetically pleasing features that would blend in with the historic environment of the Second Avenue address.

There were five Planning Board hearings, and the 108-page proposal was eventually approved. The approval was appealed by Joseph and Rital Puleo and John Russell who own two properties adjacent to the White House property.

They claimed that they weren’t duly notified about the zoning and had other claims. The legal back and forth continued until the lawyers of the Down to Earth Construction Company claimed interference of financial gain, sale of property and due diligence among other claims.

What's next for the property

A judge finally ruled against the Puleos and John Russel and the Down to Earth Construction Company was free to start demolition and building.

Construction on the new buildings will take about 18 months. They’ll be many memories when you pass the location at 102 Second Avenue.

The Down to Earth Construction Company wasted no time in demolishing the White House. The swiftness of its demise seemed so quick after serving the community for so long.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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