‘Putting an end to the era’: Former Seaside Heights club Karma demolished
This continues a multiyear plan of shedding the partying image of Seaside Heights into a more family-friendly destination.
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The days of partying at a famous Jersey Shore nightclub are long gone.
"There will be people with some good memories of the early days but then later on, it became a very hectic situation," said Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz.
Karma, made famous by the cast of the “Jersey Shore,” is now a pile of rubble. Demolition began at the former Seaside Heights club Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Greg Lertch and his crew wasted no time clawing into the vacant club that last played host to parties in 2018.
Karma was most famous during the first seasons of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” where Snookie, The Situation and the rest of the crew would often be seen partying with the locals and their housemates.
Then-owner John Saddy faced issues in the last year Karma was open. Reports of underage drinking and overdoses led to an injunction five years ago. The club never reopened and was sold at auction in 2020.
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Lertch says he feels some sort of nostalgia when coming to demolish a site like Karna.
“Thinking back 10 years ago, I came in here and did some shots, drink some Red Bull and vodkas. It's fun showing up, tearing it down. Putting an end to the era,” he said.
Lertch says he feels some sort of nostalgia when coming to demolish a site like Karna.
“Thinking back 10 years ago, I came in here and did some shots, drink some Red Bull and vodkas. It's fun showing up, tearing it down. Putting an end to the era,” he said.
New construction projects surround the demolition at Karma. It's all part of Seaside's rebranding going from a party reputation to one of a family-friendly destination.
"This is the future I believe. We did not jump into this. We thought about it, we had a vision and we wanted to see on a paper drawing what our vision would be like," added the mayor.
So, what will take Karma's spot at 401 Boulevard? Like many properties redeveloped along the Shore, realtor Mike Loundy, from Seaside Realty, says the space is fated to become a mixed-use condominium with rooftop ocean views, including a gym and pool. For those interested in living in the area, Seaside Realty is taking names to add to their list once they start rolling out unit pricing.
Interested folks can check out their website at 419boulevard.com
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