Popular restaurant in Middlesex County wants to transform its space. Here's what's planned
SOUTH RIVER – The popular Ria Mar Restaurant & Bar on Whitehead Avenue is looking to add additional apartments.
Ria Mar, LLC has applied to the borough's Zoning Board of Adjustment to build 14 apartments by combining lots, constructing two additions and modifying the existing building by eliminating the upper banquet room space.
"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," said Rui Baptista, president of Ria Mar LLC, a family-owned business 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 said the proposal calls for elimination of the large banquet room, which seats about 180 people, and one of the small party rooms that seats about 28.
The plan also includes a small restaurant expansion, and three existing apartments will remain.
The bar and dining room will remain, he said, but the dining room will be relocated to the current patio location and will have massive skylights, fully retractable glass walls and a living green wall. There will still be one party room that will fit about 120 people, Baptista said.
"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 said. "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 said there two reasons for the change.
"Like everybody else, we shut down for a while during COVID," he said. "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 home at 27 Whitehead Ave., which is under contract for purchase by Ria Mar LLC, will remain, Baptista said.
A hearing on the application is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers of the Criminal Justice Building, 61 Main St.
The plans may be inspected by the public between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at the zoning board office, 48 Washington St.
Email: sloyer@ganettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Ria Mar Restaurant & Bar in South River NJ wants to add 14 apartments
