Convention Hall's Restoration Runs to 2029. The Grand Arcade Gets the Holidays First.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of Mutiny Beach," the barbecue bar inside Convention Hall told its followers this fall, thanking customers for "two fantastic seasons of food, drinks, music, and fun here in Convention Hall." The Jersey Shore Girl reported the closure on Oct. 19. It added that the original Mutiny BBQ Company at 808 Fifth Avenue stays open and that the boardwalk space will host pop-ups and special events, with details still to come.

Mutiny Beach is the newest piece of a bigger story at 1300 Ocean Avenue. The Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall have been closed since about 2021 over structural safety concerns. The state's own paperwork puts their reopening years away. In the meantime, the complex's public life this winter fits inside one corridor. From Black Friday through Dec. 20, the Grand Arcade between the two closed venues hosts the Asbury Park Holiday Bazaar. The rest of the season happens on the blocks around it.

What $130 Million Is Actually Buying

In August, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority board approved a Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion tax credit of up to $75 million. The credit supports a $130 million restoration of the whole complex, according to the City of Asbury Park. The applicant is Madison Asbury Retail, LLC.

The project memo in the NJEDA's Aug. 20, 2026 board book describes 252,742 square feet of 1920s-era buildings. All of it gets renovated and none of it gets added to. "No new construction or expansion proposed," the memo says. Here's how the work breaks down:

• Paramount Theatre, 67,343 square feet and 1,600 seats: renovated main and second-floor lobbies, mezzanine, back of house, proscenium and basement, plus new seating, lighting and restrooms.
• Grand Arcade, 32,132 square feet: a renovated marquee, restored storefronts, repaired skylights, a restored terrazzo floor, lighting upgrades and 1,999 square feet of tenant space to lease.
• Convention Hall, 153,267 square feet with 3,200 stadium-type seats: plaster restoration, new floor finishes, a restored lobby, rehabbed stage and dressing rooms, and a seating bowl reconfigured with a bar and about 22 VIP boxes.
• Across the complex: elevator access to three floors, fire alarm and sprinkler systems, an emergency generator, structural and masonry repairs to the exterior walls and loggias, a new roof and stormwater upgrades.

The memo calls the Grand Arcade the "enclosed pedestrian thoroughfare" that ties the complex together. It holds the main entrance to Convention Hall and a secondary entrance to the Paramount. Once the work is done, this hallway is where every concertgoer will walk in. For now, it's where the holiday market sets up.

The Clock Runs to Spring 2029

The construction dates come straight from that memo. Work started April 22, 2026, at the applicant's own risk, which the CAFE program allows once an application is filed. Completion and a certificate of occupancy are expected by April 30, 2029. The city's release gives the same window as a 34-month construction timeline after board approval. Some of the work is already visible from the boardwalk. An Asbury Park Press photo gallery captured renovation work on the Paramount's facade on May 27.

At the finish line, the applicant wants a year-round venue hosting more than 90 performances a year. The project team includes ASM, which the memo calls the nation's largest venue manager and lists as an adviser on facility planning and operations. The design architect is Michael Graves, Colliers Engineering handles engineering, and Pullman SST Inc. is the project and construction manager. The award also comes with conditions. Under the tax credit agreement, the NJEDA can reduce, rescind or recapture the credits if the developer falls short of its obligations.

On that schedule, this is the first of several holiday seasons the arcade will spend between two closed venues.

Four Weekends in the Arcade

The Asbury Park Holiday Bazaar is back in the Grand Arcade for 2026. It's free, indoors, open to all ages, and welcomes families and pets. Food & Wine named it New Jersey's best holiday market. The format borrows from Germany's traditional Weihnachtsmärkte, or Christmas markets: local makers, artists, vintage sellers and small businesses, plus music, food and drinks, kids' activities, craft workshops and Photos with Santa benefiting the AP Toy Drive.

The Bazaar's event page lists a different Black Friday closing time of 7 p.m., so check the site before heading over that night. The event page also recommends Friday evenings for a slower visit, with kids' activities and "a little more room to browse at your own pace."

The date to circle is Friday, Dec. 4, from 3 to 7 p.m. That's Kids Create!, a special vendor showcase for young makers and business owners ages 7 to 18 selling things they've made, like jewelry, artwork, accessories and holiday gifts. The Bazaar says more programming and announcements are coming.

The Season Spreads Out From the Hall

With Convention Hall and the Paramount dark, the shows, runs and nights out this winter are spread across Ocean Avenue, Lake Avenue and Main Street. Madison's own August statement on the tax credits points to the Wonder Bar and the Stone Pony as venues "within a few blocks." Here's the calendar from now through the end of the year:

1. Saturday, Nov. 7. Social Saturdays at Asbury Social, 527 Lake Avenue, 10 to 11:30 p.m. The venue fills the former Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten space, where Asbury Park Now describes a restaurant, cocktail bar, supper club and entertainment venue.
2. Saturday, Nov. 14. The Thanks4Giving Turkey Run & Splash, a 5K in Asbury Park, on the Jersey Shore Running Club race calendar.
3. Friday, Nov. 20. Punchline with Tokyo Rose and Range Life at the Wonder Bar, 1213 Ocean Ave. N., 6 to 11 p.m.
4. Friday, Nov. 27. The Holiday Bazaar opens in the Grand Arcade.
5. Friday, Dec. 4. Kids Create! at the Bazaar in the afternoon, then Grayscale at the Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Avenue, that night.
6. Saturday, Dec. 5. The Asbury Park Santa Run 5K.
7. Sunday, Dec. 6. The Downtown Wine Tour, noon to 2:30 p.m., on the Asbury Park Chamber calendar.
8. Sunday, Dec. 13. Johnny Mac House of Spirits' Train Run Holiday Special, starting and ending at 208 Main Street. Registration covers a train ride, the run and a post-run gathering.
9. Sunday, Dec. 20. The last Bazaar day of the season.
10. Sunday, Dec. 27. The 62nd Annual AP Polar Bear Races.

Main Street Loses Two Fixtures This Season

The same Jersey Shore Girl roundup that reported Mutiny Beach's closing also covered two Main Street changes. Kimchi Mama, the family-owned Korean restaurant at 504 Main Street, closes Wednesday, Nov. 25, and is moving to North Brunswick. It came to Asbury Park from North Jersey in 2022. Regulars have until the night before Thanksgiving to get one more order in.

A few blocks north, The Hardware Store of Asbury Park at 428 Main Street is reportedly closing after about 40 years. The store hasn't announced a final day. It's the kind of place that handles propane exchange, key cutting, glass cutting and screen repair, so if you've got a screen to fix before spring, now is a good time to bring it in.

On Springwood Avenue, the timeline runs long too. The Asbury Park Museum is building a permanent 1,400-square-foot ground-floor home at 1206 Springwood Avenue in the Marmora Center. TAPinto reported on Oct. 17 that it's expected to open in fall 2027. The mixed-use building will also include eight affordable apartments and space for nonprofit and community use.

So the museum is expected in fall 2027 and the restored Convention Hall complex by April 2029. Between now and then, the Grand Arcade's restored terrazzo and skylights are still on the work list, and for four weekends this winter the arcade holds the Bazaar.

Own near the boardwalk and wondering what a $130 million restoration a few blocks away means for your home's value? Alexis Fraistat follows these Asbury Park projects closely and gives you a straight answer. Get Your Free Home Valuation and see where your number stands today.