Pat Fasano is known for paving the way with Asbury Park revitalization in 1998. Fasano rehabbed residential homes along with local favorites Asbury Lanes, Wonder Bar, Bond Street complex, and others. He brought the knowledge he gained there to Atlantic City. In this 3 minute read by NJ Monthly’s Deborah P. Carter about The Orange Loop, Fasano’s visions are highlighted in detail. This real estate district ‘seeing orange’ is known for New York, Tennessee and St. James’ Place avenues; the orange section of the popular Monopoly board game.
The rehabbing project faces construction delays during the outbreak of COVID-19. Because Fasano already secured outdoor space, he has been able to host outdoor events this spring and summer despite the pandemic. Author Carter gives great insight into Fasano and his visionaries’ creative projects, designed to bring family life and entertainment back to America’s Favorite Playground, in NJ Monthly’s August digital copy of “Seeing Orange”.
The collaboration is shared by Mark Callazzo, partner at Lucern Capital Partners. In 2013, Lucern opened The Iron Room. After learning the staff did not live in Atlantic City due to lack of things to do, the ideas quickly flowed to a larger scale between Callazzo, Fasano and others. While the developers involved in the Orange Loop are not direct partners, they join together for a seamless vision.
New residential units, a coffee shop, restaurants and bars with live music, commercial office spaces, a cannabis dispensary and two hotels are on the agenda. The hotel plans show the rehabbing of the Cardinal Hotel and a new, chic 20 room hotel. The new hotel will be assembled by two 8′ x 20′ shipping containers.
Because Fasano is aware of gentrification issues that arise with urban development, he is working with nonprofit communities. They want to ensure plans will be inclusive of current residents. Fasano also hopes the new residential units will help workers leave the commute behind.
The outdoor spaces give the unique opportunity to try out different events and to start seeing the “separate, but together” flow envisioned. Spaces have been transformed with plants, flowers, picnic tables, beach volleyball and fire pits.
“The only negative in Atlantic City is the perception of it. We can’t change the location – and we don’t need to. The perception, we can change, ” says Fasano.
Please see the link below for Deborah P. Carter’s “Seeing Orange”.
https://digital.njmonthly.com/njmonthly/august_2020?article_id=1602386#pg1