Convention Hall Is Closed, and the Grand Arcade Is Booked Through October
Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre have been closed since approximately 2021 because of structural safety concerns, according to the City of Asbury Park. Even so, the Grand Arcade at 1300 Ocean Avenue has three October weekends on its calendar: an Oktoberfest, a record show and a makers' bazaar. The building is on two different deadlines right now. One is a short state grant deadline for the theater's exterior that runs out December 31. The other is a multi-year restoration of the whole complex on a 34-month construction timeline, which, counted from the August 2026 approval, works out to about 2029. The Arcade, the part of the complex that connects everything else, is still taking bookings while both are underway.
The October dates at the Arcade are close together and free to attend.
The Arcade isn't new to this kind of use. An Asbury Park Press photo gallery shows the Spring Bazaar there in May 2026, along with older photos of Convention Hall hosting the Asbury Park Fishing Club Flea Market in 2006. The boardwalk also uses the hall as a starting point. Today's 18th annual Asbury Park Zombie Walk leaves from Convention Hall and heads down the boardwalk toward the Casino and then onto Cookman Avenue.
None of this means the auditorium or the theater has reopened. The city's August notice describes both as closed, and none of the event listings say otherwise. Inside the Arcade you're standing between two buildings that are each being worked on under separate funding.
Most of the confusion around Convention Hall comes from treating two projects as one. The difference looks like this:
| Paramount exterior repairs | Full complex restoration | |
|---|---|---|
| What's covered | Roof reconstruction, masonry renewal, structural steel repairs | Structural, mechanical, architectural and ADA upgrades to Convention Hall, the Grand Arcade and the Paramount |
| Money | $11.7 million from the state Boardwalk Preservation Grant | $130 million project, supported by up to $75 million in NJEDA tax credits |
| Deadline | Exterior work must be finished by December 31 | 34 months of construction after the August 20, 2026 board approval |
| Goal | Make the theater watertight and structurally sound | Reopen the complex as a year-round performing arts center |
The first column is the one with a deadline coming up. The second sets the longer timeline for the whole complex. When a neighbor says "the Paramount gets finished this year," they're talking about the left column. The theater isn't reopening this year. The work due by December 31 is to keep the building's shell sound, and no date has been announced for performances to come back.
The Paramount exterior job fell behind early in the year. The Coaster reported in March that March Associates Construction had withdrawn as contractor just as the city was about to sign the Phase 2 subgrant agreement with Madison Asbury Retail, the boardwalk redeveloper that owns the property. City Attorney Adam Starkey said the city "was surprised by this news, as recent negotiations were going smoothly."
By mid-April the council had approved a replacement. "A new contractor, Poland SST, is ready to mobilize by the end of the month, and we are on track to meet the Dec. 31 completion deadline," redevelopment attorney Joe Maraziti told the council. Payments to the developer are released only after Michael Graves Architects certifies the work and the city confirms the construction team has been paid. Officials set a mid-December completion target.
The work is now visible on the boardwalk. An Asbury Park Press photo from May 27 shows façade renovations on the theater, and The Coaster repeated the December 31 deadline in mid-September as a condition of the state funding.
Reports give two dollar amounts. The March coverage ties $11.7 million in Boardwalk Preservation Grant money to the exterior work. At the April meeting, Mayor John Moor said, "This is $13 million going into the Paramount." None of the reporting explains the gap, so it's better to treat both as figures quoted at the time than to pick one.
On August 20 the New Jersey Economic Development Authority board approved a Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion tax credit award of up to $75 million for what the application calls the Asbury Park Convention Hall Music & Performance Venues Restoration, Revitalization & Modernization Project. Madison Asbury Retail, LLC filed the application. The city says construction started in April at the developer's own risk, with a 34-month timeline after board approval. Counting 34 months from August 2026 puts the end of that timeline around mid-2029. That's an estimate from the city's numbers, not an announced opening date.
The award has conditions attached. NJEDA can reduce, rescind or recapture the credits if the developer doesn't meet its obligations under the tax credit agreement. Mayor Moor addressed this directly when the award was announced: "As much as the City has been faulted, we did our research. We knew the parameters Madison would need to meet to get this award, and we knew there would be checks and balances before any of these tax credits are issued." Councilmember Yvonne Clayton said Madison had already begun negotiating a $106 million bridge loan to get construction moving.
It also helps to know what's being restored. Convention Hall opened in 1930 and was designed by Warren and Wetmore, the firm behind Grand Central Terminal. The city's notice says it has hosted music, theater, dance, film, sports, conventions and civic events for almost a century. The end goal is a year-round performing arts center. Until then, the Arcade is the part of the complex with public events on its calendar, mostly markets and festival weekends.
With the big hall still a few years out, several smaller venues have opened inland this fall. Asbury Social took over 527 Lake Avenue, the former Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten, which NJ.com says flooded in 2023. The House of Independents team opened it as a supper club around Labor Day, with live music on stage and a rooftop planned for spring 2027. NJ.com ranked it 10th on its October 2 list of the city's best restaurants and recommended the smoked short rib at $36. It also hosts Social Saturdays from 10 p.m., and the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce is holding a networking night there on October 21.
On Cookman Avenue, Esquina No. 525 opened at 525 Cookman in August with Nikkei cooking, which blends Japanese and Peruvian food. It comes from Hungry Trio Hospitality and Culinary Director Chef Marques Tone.
The month ends on porches rather than in the hall. The 10th annual Asbury Park PorchFest was moved to October 31, from noon to 6 p.m., with a rain date of November 7. Organizers said they postponed it for the first time after city officials and police raised concerns about downed power lines. So the 10th PorchFest lands on Halloween, spread across front porches, while the 1930 hall built for big crowds is still under repair.
For the Arcade weekends this month, use the organizers' own pages for dates, since the Fall Bazaar has already moved once. For the theater, the next date to watch is December 31, when the exterior work has to be finished to collect the state grant.
For many of us, Convention Hall is the building we picture first when we think of Asbury Park. Restoring a landmark like this mostly happens through contracts and funding deadlines before anyone sees a finished room. If you own property on the blocks between the boardwalk and Cookman and wonder how a restored performing arts center could affect your home's value, Danielle Lacko can prepare a design-led valuation that looks at both the 2026 market and the restoration's 34-month timeline. Request a Home Valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
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