Yes, A Tiki Bar Is Coming To The Woodbridge Town Marina

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Yes, a tiki bar really is coming to the Woodbridge municipal marina in Sewaren (648 Cliff Road).

Today, for the first time ever, the Township provided renderings of how it envisions the tiki bar will look.

Patch already reported in January that Mayor John McCormac seeks to build a tiki bar there. But the "new" news this week is that Woodbridge Township is now officially asking vendors to submit proposals to build the bar.

Woodbridge is looking for someone to build and operate the tiki bar. Bids are due to Woodbridge by Aug. 22; the Township is calling this the "Up Smith's Creek complex."

Here's How To Apply To Build The Woodbridge Marina Tiki Bar

Woodbridge said it is looking for someone to construct a 215-seat outdoor tiki bar overlooking the marina. Whoever is chosen by the town will also build restrooms, add new and improved walkways, lighting, fencing and additional parking. Woodbridge has received some grant money to help fund the project.

Woodbridge may even approve an outdoor stage for live music.

McCormac told MyCentralJersey this week the town originally wanted to open a full waterfront restaurant at the marina, but had to scale it back because it was costing too much money. Instead, the town will allow food trucks to park there once the tiki bar is complete.

In the past year, Woodbridge already replaced the bulkheads and removed debris at the marina. That was Phase 1 of what the town is calling the "Sewaren Marina Complex and Waterfront Improvement Project."

Construction of the tiki bar will be Phase 2. Phase 3 is adding more boat slips: Currently, the Sewaren marina has 28 slips. Woodbridge wants to add 25 more slips, with an additional 11 dock-and-dine slips.

Woodbridge also plans to make improvements to the adjoining dog park off Cliff Road, and add a walking bridge connecting to Alvin P. Williams Park. That is far off in the future, however. No date has been given when the walking bridge to Alvin P. Williams will be built.

Both the towns of Woodbridge and Carteret are trying to greatly expand their access to the Arthur Kill — and Raritan Bay and New York Harbor beyond. In 2019, Carteret opened this 185-slip municipal marina, located at Carteret's Waterfront Park on Middlesex Avenue.

Prior: Tiki Bar And More Boat Slips Coming To Woodbridge Marina (Jan. 2023)