BRICK – The Mansion Banquet Party Lounge and Nightclub on Cedar Bridge Avenue closed for good on March 31 when their liquor license expired.
The liquor license has been purchased by the management of Brick Plaza, and it could be used onsite for another restaurant establishment, said Mayor John G. Ducey.
The liquor license was renewed by the governing body at the July 11 council meeting with restrictions still in place since The Mansion had become the site of fights, assaults and numerous calls for service to the police for drunk and disorderly offenses.
The restrictions include the requirement that the owners provide uniformed off-duty police officers stationed in front of the premises; that entertainment and serving of alcohol cease at least 30 minutes prior to closing time; the usage of enhanced license scanners; inside and outside security cameras, and more.
Police Chief James Riccio said the restrictions on the liquor license were already in place when he took the reins as chief at the end of 2015, and he decided to keep them because “if we had renewed the license without putting the restrictions in there, we would have been back in the same boat,” he said in a recent phone interview.
If a new family-friendly business opens at the site, Riccio said he would look into lifting the restrictions, but if it remains a nightclub, the restrictions might remain in place.
When the approval for the liquor license went through, the governing body did not know that The Mansion’s lease had expired, said Mayor Ducey.
“They will be using the liquor license onsite for another restaurant,” he said. “The owners of The Mansion might knock it down for additional parking, but nothing has been submitted yet.”
Business Administrator Joanne Bergin said the owners of Brick Plaza are in the midst of a large-scale renovation that would change the layout and flow of the portion of the site that fronts on Cedar Bridge Avenue.
“The Mansion building is not included in the redesign,” Bergin said in an email on July 17.
The management company for Brick Plaza, Red Bank-based Metrovation, also manages Brook 35 in Sea Girt and The Grove in Shrewsbury.
Their marketing manager Amanda Cheslock said Metrovation got the 19,000-square-foot space back in order to make it available to a more “family-friendly” option.
“The question is, what is a viable plan for the back of the shopping plaza? There are conversations taking place with potential businesses for where The Mansion is located, but nothing has been finalized,” Cheslock said.
She said she did not yet know if The Mansion would be partly or fully demolished.
The Mansion is located behind the former A&P supermarket, which has been divided into three retail spaces. Ulta Beauty and DSW footwear occupy two of the storefronts, while a Michaels Crafts is planned for the third.
Renovations were recently completed to the AMC Loews Brick Plaza 10 movie theater that now features plush leather power-reclining seats.
