Toms River: The big hulking building on NJ 37 Eastbound just before Stop & Shop is vacant again. After serving its early years as various home improvement centers, the massive warehouse was remodeled into a car dealership. It originally opened as Ray Catena Audi and seemed to generate traffic. Then it switched to Ray Catena Porsche with a few solid reviews around the internet. Ray Catena is a chain of luxury car dealerships- mainly in Monmouth County and points north.

Now as of November 2020 the beautifully- designed building is once again vacant and empty. There aren’t any vehicles for sale, but the lights are left on. Signs bearing the Audi and then Porsche logos have since been stripped off the building. Only the sole Ray Catena name remains as a sign on the front of the building. Additionally, the Ray Catena corporate website makes no mention of any dealerships in Ocean County, let alone Toms River.

It’s never good to see businesses fail, or stores empty- but this location seemed to have issues before Covid. We hope a new business will occupy the store and thrive- but which one? The large warehouse-style building with an irregular property line could be challenging to sell or rent as-is. Perhaps a tear down to repurpose the lot for a better use?