SOUTH RIVER – The well-liked Ria Mar Restaurant & Bar on Whitehead Avenue is wanting to add extra apartments.
Ria Mar, LLC has utilized to the borough’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to construct 14 apartments by combining tons, establishing two additions and modifying the present constructing by eliminating the higher banquet room area.
“There is a definite need for housing and what we’re proposing are very large, high-end apartments with a common space and storage for the tenants,” mentioned Rui Baptista, president of Ria Mar LLC, a family-owned enterprise since 1987. “There’s going to be roof decks and patios and electrical charging stations for electric vehicles and electric bikes. There will also be washers and dryers in the units.”
Baptista mentioned the proposal requires elimination of the massive banquet room, which seats about 180 individuals, and one of many small occasion rooms that seats about 28.
The plan additionally features a small restaurant enlargement, and three present apartments will stay.
The bar and eating room will stay, he mentioned, however the eating room might be relocated to the present patio location and can have huge skylights, absolutely retractable glass partitions and a residing inexperienced wall. There will nonetheless be one occasion room that can match about 120 individuals, Baptista mentioned.
“By eliminating the big banquet room and the small party room we’re eliminating 200 seats and there won’t be a need for a lot of the parking,” he mentioned. “When you come to a banquet, you typically park five, six or seven hours. By eliminating that it will be more of an in-and-out flow. This would make the parking much better.”
Baptista mentioned there two causes for the change.
![A popular Portuguese restaurant and bar on Whitehead Avenue is looking to add additional apartments.](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/04/22/PCNJ/4659a259-2390-4a61-9fec-9bdeb25fa441-Ria_Mar.jpg?width=660&height=469&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
“Like everybody else, we shut down for a while during COVID,” he mentioned. “What we noticed was that although we are still doing parties, the need for a large banquet room, such as ours, has dwindled. We do have a great space and there is a housing issue, so we think by designing some beautiful units we can help with the housing issue.”
The single-family house at 27 Whitehead Ave., which is underneath contract for buy by Ria Mar LLC, will stay, Baptista mentioned.
A listening to on the applying is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers of the Criminal Justice Building, 61 Main St.
The plans could also be inspected by the general public between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays on the zoning board workplace, 48 Washington St.
Email: sloyer@ganettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and extra for MyCentralJersey.com. To get limitless entry to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account at present.