Neuro-Inclusive Apartment Plan Approved By Red Bank Zoning

THRIVE Red Bank, planned for 273 Shrewsbury Avenue, will feature 32 one-bedroom apartments for neuro-diverse adults.

RED BANK, NJ — Apartments enabling neuro-diverse adults to live independently - but with top-notch support - will soon be coming to Red Bank.

THRIVE Red Bank, a project that will offer one-bedroom apartments in a complex on Shrewsbury Avenue, received approval last week by the Red Bank Zoning Board.

The concept is the first of its kind in New Jersey, its developers say, and the approval means construction can begin on the three-story, 32-unit residential building. It is located at 273 Shrewsbury Avenue at Drs. James Parker Boulevard. A 2025 opening is planned.

“We are thrilled by the board’s decision, which will enable us to provide a first-of-its-kind, neuro-inclusive apartment building for our growing New Jersey neuro-diverse population,” said John Klein, the developer/owner of the project.

“This groundbreaking, supportive housing project will provide inherent benefits to its residents and the greater Red Bank community,” said Klein, who is a noted real estate developer with many philanthropic ties to Monmouth County.

THRIVE Red Bank will provide one-bedroom apartments for independent living for neuro-diverse adults, with shared amenity space, including a teaching kitchen, common event space, health and wellness spaces, workout spaces and socialization areas.

The 'services cliff'

And this concept will serve an important need, developers say.

One in 34 individuals in New Jersey is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and New Jersey is known for having excellent educational programs for school-age children.

But many of those children fall off the “services cliff” when supports are drastically diminished at age 21. Currently, three in four of these autistic adults live with a family member, many of whom are now aging themselves, according to those behind this project.

“The greatest worry for any parent of a neuro-diverse child is ‘What will happen when I can’t be there?' ” said Parents With A Plan founder and co-developer of THRIVE Red Bank, Karen Fluharty, the mother of a 21-year-old, neuro-diverse son.

Parents With A Plan is a Montville-based organization founded in 2019 to expand neuro-inclusive housing environments.

And Fluharty, herself a global retail real estate executive, brought all her skills as a professional - and mother - to create this project.

About THRIVE Red Bank

The project, according to the Zoning Board application, is a three-story, 35,891-square-foot residential building with 32 one-bedroom dwelling units, one ground floor navigator studio apartment and 13 parking spaces for use by the building employees and visitors.

The site includes landscaping, patio and onsite amenities within the building related to the life skills development of the residents.

At the Sept. 7 meeting, which continued a hearing on the project, the developers noted that a portion of the apartments would meet affordable housing requirements, as well.

“THRIVE Red Bank will be the first of our initiatives to build capacity for innovative, person-centered solutions and create a marketplace of supportive housing options,” Fluharty said about the development.

Parents With A Plan is comprised of parents, families, legal and housing professionals, all fostering "person-centered living environments throughout New Jersey," it says.

A Walkable Town

And Robin Klein, also developer/owner of THRIVE Red Bank, said Red Bank is a perfect fit for the concept. She and her husband, John, live in Middletown, according to their bios on the Parents With A Plan website.

"As a walkable town with shopping, recreation, education, entertainment and more, Red Bank offers a unique location," said Robin Klein, also a retail real estate entrepreneur and deeply involved in many philanthropic pursuits.

“Red Bank also offers our future residents opportunities to gain meaningful local employment and, most critically, access to public transit, as many neuro-diverse adults do not drive,” she said.

“Red Bank provides the community and the quality of life and the ethos of giving, engaging and inclusion that will be critical as these young adults move into independent living,” she said.

The Rutgers Connection

Another element of THRIVE Red Bank will be a collaboration with the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services to create "a new standard of excellence in supporting housing," developers say.

Rutgers senior clinical faculty and highly trained clinical staff will support the residents there. And university students from a variety of academic disciplines will have the opportunity to receive hands-on training and intensive supervision, laying a foundation to support future residential communities.

"Red Bank has an opportunity to be a leader in showing the world what a model compassionate, supportive community can look like,” said Christopher Manente, PhD., founding executive director of the Rutgers Center.

“The importance of THRIVE goes far beyond improving the quality of life of the 32 residents that will live there. THRIVE will provide an example of a high-quality, neuro-inclusive supporting housing property that demonstrates how everyone can succeed if given the right support and opportunities," he said.

THRIVE Red Bank was inspired by First Place AZ, a supportive housing community in Phoenix that serves the rapidly growing, under-served population, developers say.

For more information about the THRIVE Red Bank project or its other resources, visit www.parentswithaplan.org