Commercial development is slow around FirstEnergy Park

LAKEWOOD – As the final out is recorded at FirstEnergy Park, BlueClaws fans head for the exits to start their trips home, with little thought of sticking around the area.

On the field and at the box office, the franchise has been a success. The BlueClaws helped produce several key members of the Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 World Series championship team, while also leading the South Atlantic League in attendance countless times during their 13 seasons in Lakewood.

But some fans think that more can be done to enhance the experience by luring restaurants, shops and attractions around the ballpark.

"Once the game is over, we head home. There is nothing really to do around here," Bayville resident Matt Parks, 45, said during a recent game. "It's something that is really lacking. It's like they dropped the stadium in the middle of the woods."

Township officials hoped the ballpark would spawn commercial development around the park, but that failed to happen.

With little but woods around the ballpark, drawing offseason business might be an issue. To the north of the stadium is the township Public Works Department.

To the west is a 186-acre wooded parcel, owned by the private Cedarbridge Development Cooperation, that is slated to be the home of a high-tech business park. The project, for which ground has yet to be broken, includes construction of restaurants, a bank and buildings ranging from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet in size and one to five stories in height.

The project is expected to provide 12,000 jobs for the area and generate nearly $10 million in new tax revenue, officials said. Calls to the developer for more information were not returned.

One reason development in the area has been limited is because a 186-acre parcel of woodlands surrounding the stadium is privately owned by the Cedarbridge Development Corporation, which plans to build a business park there.

Put Lakewood on the map

When construction started more than 13 years ago, the plans called only for the ballpark, said state Sen. Robert Singer, R-Ocean, the township's mayor when the project first was discussed.

"There is supposed to be a high-tech business park next to it. That has stalled. That is one of the reasons that it was just the ballpark," Singer recalled. "I was in the minority, at the time, about bringing the team to the area. I was of the feeling that it would be a benefit to the area and make a positive impact on the economy."

Singer and other local officials hoped the stadium would lure tourists and become the bedrock for retail growth around New Hampshire and Cedar Bridge avenues. A struggling economy led to nothing being built around the site, officials said.

The stadium was built in 2001 at a cost of $20 million, paid for through the Lakewood Development Corporation, a government department geared toward increasing commercial development in the township.

The cooperation pays for the commercial development programs by collecting 50 percent of sales tax in the state-run Urban Enterprise Zone in the township. The zone offers tax breaks to businesses that develop in the area. From 2001 until 2009, the cooperation paid $2.5 million a year to pay off the project. Payments were completed on Dec. 1, 2009.

"At the time, I had the feeling that it would make Lakewood a tourist designation," Singer said. "If you look at the attendance number, it has definitely brought people into the area."

Chris Tafrow, general manager of the BlueClaws, said the franchise is focused on what happens inside FirstEnergy Park rather than any development outside of the park.

Over the years, the BlueClaws and the township have partnered in a variety of events for children.

"There was talk of something being developed but that never happened," Tafrow said. "We are very happy with the relationship that we have with the township and we hope that continues."

From 2009 to 2013, the BlueClaws drew more than 2 million people, an average of 410,732 people, during their 70-game home schedule.

"If you look at the numbers, it was a great decision for them to put the team in Lakewood," Tafrow said.

The township receives $100,000 a year from the franchise as part of a 20-year lease agreement, said Steve Reinman, executive director of economic development for the township.

Singer said the franchise has made Lakewood a destination for both local residents and people visiting the Jersey Shore on vacation.

"This has put Lakewood on the map," Singer said. "It's been a win-win for all."

Little impact on local businesses

Mike L. Lahr, a planning and public policy professor at Rutgers University, said new major league stadiums traditionally have had more of an impact on area businesses than minor league ballparks such as FirstEnergy Park.

"It's the same situation as it was in Trenton," Lahr said, referring to the Trenton Thunder, the AA affiliate of the New York Yankees. "It's not like football, where people come and tailgate. People go to a baseball game and then head home."

Despite the lack of dining options in the area, Lahr said, the franchise still could have a positive impact on the area's economy.

"Businesses in Howell and other surrounding areas might see some extra bucks come into their business on game days," Lahr said, adding that surrounding restaurants could see an increase in business as hungry people leave the stadium. "It adds jobs to the local economy, which might not have been there."

According to a report by the Journal of Sports Economics, between 1985 and 2006, more than 230 cities that had minor league teams from AAA to rookie ball saw significant positive impacts on their local per capita income. The report states at a Single A baseball team, similar to the Lakewood BlueClaws, spurred a $117.57 increase per capita in the area.

Moshe Lankry, owner of Pizza Plus on Fourth Street in Lakewood, said the BlueClaws have had no impact on his business. Pizza Plus is located approximately two miles from FirstEnergy Park. Lankry said the lack of impact on his business has less to do with the baseball team and more to do with Orthodox culture.

"There has been zero impact on my business — that is not a positive or negative against the BlueClaws," said Lankry, 49. "It's very simple. I'm in the food business and (my) kosher food is more expensive than regular food. People can go down the streets and go to Friday's or Applebee's and it's cheaper."

The 2010 census reported that Lakewood was the largest municipality in Ocean and Monmouth counties and the seventh largest in the state. According to projections, Lakewood's population could expand to 220,000 by 2030.

More than half of Lakewood's residents follow Orthodox Judaism. About 54,000 residents — or more than half — were Jewish in 2009, according to a 2011 survey of Jewish populations by the University of Miami and University of Connecticut. According to the 2010 census, more than 92,000 people lived in the township. The Orthodox population has only grown since, attracted by a large, prestigious rabbinical college and a community of expanding yeshivas.

"It would be similar to putting the BlueClaws in Lancaster," Lankry said, referring to the Amish community in Pennsylvania. "It's not about them. It's about the differences in cultures."

Reinman said the impact of the stadium on local business is hard to quantify.

"Stadium impact is and has been the subject of numerous business school studies and the results are fairly broad," he said. "I do think it is a beautiful facility and certainly is an asset to Lakewood, but attributing specific local economic impact is more complicated."

Differing views

While others want to see something done with the surrounding area, Tom Ewing, 66, of Jackson said he would not change a thing. Ewing has been attending BlueClaws games since the franchise first started playing.

"I come for the baseball and would not change anything," Ewing said during a recent game. "It's all about the baseball here."

For the last decade, Ewing and other family members have made countless trips to other South Atlantic League ballparks.

"Other teams offer dining and shopping outside of the ballpark," Ewing said. "It's done really well, but I like it here because it's nothing other than the baseball."

Around the league, various cities have used minor league ballpark to spur commercial development, said Eric Krupa, South Atlantic League President. In 2006, the Greenville Drive moved into Fluor Field and it served as a spark for redevelopment on the west end of the city, Krupa said. The area surrounding the stadium is full of restaurants and other shops.

"They moved from suburbs back into the city," Krupa said of the Drive's move to Fluor Field. "When they moved, it was considered the shady side of town, but the ballpark has sparked redevelopment in the area."

Despite supporting increased options after the game, John Yarusinsky, 23, of South River said it could be difficult for a business to stay in operation during the offseason.

"It would be a huge success during the season and give people something to do after the game," Yarusinsky said. "Who wouldn't love to go get some food after the game and talk? That would be great."

With little but woods around the ballpark, drawing off-season business might be an issue. To the north of the stadium is the township Public Works Department. To the east is the Lakewood Industrial Campus.

The 186-acre wooded parcel west of the ballpark, owned by the Cedarbridge Development Corporation, is slated to become the home of a high-tech business park. The project, for which ground has yet to be broken, includes construction of restaurants, a bank and buildings ranging from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet in size and one to five stories in height. The project is expected to provide 12,000 jobs for the area and generate nearly $10 million in new tax revenue, officials said. Calls to the developer for more information were not returned.

"Right now, there is not a lot around here — the woods and an industrial park," said Yarusinsky, who attends between 15 and 20 BlueClaws games a year. "From a fan's point of view, I would love to see something. From a business point of view, I don't know if it would work. The place is a little out of the way."

Nicholas Huba: 732-557-5617; nhuba@app.com

NEAR THE TOP

The lack of retail and dining options in the area have not deterred fans from showing up at FirstEnergy Park. In 2013, the BlueClaws ranked 25th out of 176 teams in minor league baseball in attendance per game. Last season, the franchise averaged nearly 6,000 people at each home game. The BlueClaws play a 140 games a year, 70 at home and 70 on the road.

Source: Minor League Baseball