Arthur Pryor Bandshell Pavilion Threatened with Demolition

posted by MaureenNevin on August 9, 2004 at 6:32 am

ASBURY PARK, NJ — The world reknowned trombonist, Arthur Pryor, played and conducted his orchestra for 25 glorious summers in a boardwalk pavilion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, in Asbury Park. In the late ‘60s, a pavilion with a bandshell roof was erected in Pryor’s memory.

Since then, Asbury Park has hit on bad economic times and sold all of its oceanside structures to a development rights holder who plans to demolish the section of the pavilion housing the bandshell, to replace it with office space.

Since the outdoor bandshell was also used for film showing from time to time, proponents submit that it warrants a place on Cinema Treasures.

Moreover, a local radio show has established a petition on its website to save the pavilion (www.restoreradio.com). They want to get as many signatures as possible in order to convince the local government that it needs to enforce the city’s waterfront redevelopment plan, which calls for the restoration of this landmark.