News Release
SOUTH AMBOY – Mayor Fred Henry was reached via email to discuss the recent Memorial Center redevelopment plans in South Amboy.

South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry

South Amboy’s council voted on June 19th to approve a new redevelopment plan that would potentially bring a new drug and alcohol rehab facility to town. The board’s hands were tied due to a court order that came after the city lost in Appellate court to Rocky Top, LLC.

“The decision to change the uses at the Memorial Center was pretty much out of the city’s and council’s hands,” Henry said. “The city council voted on the ordinance because it had to be changed since it’s in a redevelopment zone and certain uses were not allowed in the original ordinance.”

Many residents believed the new facility would bring issues that occurred years ago with the mental patients that would roam the streets and appear at random hours in town. Mayor Henry reassured the community that it would not be like it was before.

“Many are under the misunderstanding that the facility is going back to what it was years ago. It is not,” he said. “The city is not happy with the decision but that is the law and we will monitor the situation as closely as possible.”

Henry said he looks forward to the facility’s changes and knows that it will be successful in the long run.

“We are looking forward to the Memorial Center being successful and also being good neighbors,” he said. “If that happens, then everybody wins.”