Rooftop lounge among redevelopment proposals for old Route 202 car dealer in Bernardsville

BERNARDSVILLE – The Borough Council is considering three new proposals – including a classic car dealership, a mixed-use development and a retail development with a rooftop lounge – for the redevelopment of the vacant Somerset Hills Audi dealership on Morristown Road (Route 202).

These proposals came in response to the Borough Council's request for proposals on March 18.

“The council isn’t looking for anything particularly,” said Borough Administrator Nancy Malool. “They want to see who comes in with the best proposal and get at least the amount they paid for it."

The property, which has been vacant lot since the dealership closed a decade ago, was purchased by the borough in 2022 for $1.4 million.

Malool is optimistic the Borough Council will consider the proposals in the coming months, paving the way for the beginning of the redevelopment process.

The three redevelopment proposals included a possible purchase price, but those numbers have been redacted.

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The three proposals are:

• Edward Gregory and John Miles, who both have experience in the classic car industry, have proposed to locate Bernardsville Classic Cars on the property, a high-end classic car dealership, specializing in cars costing more than $75,000. The dealership would sell about two cars per week, according to the proposal, and serve the “numerous car enthusiasts/collectors local to Bernardsville.”
• Bernardsville resident Srinivas Maddali hopes to bring an “elevated rooftop lounge experience.” His proposal calls for a two-story building, with the first floor containing retail space and the second floor home to an indoor/outdoor lounge. Bernardsville is Maddali's target demographic with a median resident age of 40 and an average annual income of $220,060, according to the proposal.
• Mazin Kalian, of Atlantic Highlands, has proposed developing the property with retail space on the ground floor with two floors of residential apartments. According to the proposal, Kalian is targeting both empty nesters whose children live locally and young professionals.

After an investigation by the borough Planning Board in 2019, the council adopted an ordinance designating the property for redevelopment.

In the last three years, the Borough Council has accepted two different proposals for the space, one for a craft distillery and the other for a family-style restaurant.

But both fell through due to issues between the Council and the potential developers and state restrictions on distilleries.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Rooftop lounge among redevelopment proposals for old Route 202 car dealer in Bernardsville