Members of the extended Kaplan family were on hand June 16 to mark the opening of Camelot on Main Street, a new 142-unit rental community on Drwal Place in Sayreville. — Photos courtesy: Jaffe Communications
By Joshua Burd
Kaplan Cos. has unveiled a 142-unit rental community in Sayreville, a milestone with a dual meaning as the firm celebrates 65 years of building in the Middlesex County borough.
Known as Camelot on Main Street, the property on Drwal Place has a mix of one- and two-bedroom homes and amenities such as a resort-style pool, a resident lounge, a high-tech fitness center and others. Those features are meant to cater to both longtime area residents and what the developer said is Sayreville’s changing demographic profile, which includes many young professionals and commuters who are moving in and seeking an easy, friendly lifestyle.
Kaplan would know. That firm’s ties to the borough go back to 1961, when it completed a small ranch house in the Oak Tree East neighborhood off Ernston Road, a project that ultimately led to 4,000 single-family homes, condos and townhouses built over the decades in well-known Sayreville communities such as La Mer and TowneLake.
That work also spans four generations of Kaplans, the firm said, starting with Nathan Kaplan in the 1960s and 1970s. His son, the late Michael Kaplan, took over the family business and continued important relationships in Sayreville, while Jason Kaplan has spent the past decade guiding the firm as its third-generation leader.
“With this ribbon-cutting, we are celebrating much more than the opening of Camelot at Main Street,” said Jason Kaplan, the firm’s president. “This is about recognizing an ongoing relationship with the Sayreville community, built on lasting trust and the importance of a handshake, from a family business to a family town where many stay for generations.”
The developer welcomed local officials and other special guests on June 16 for the grand opening, including members of the Drwal family who still live in Sayreville and are part of the Greatest Generation. Kaplan noted that Sayreville has a longstanding requirement that any new streets in town be named after a local veteran, such as Drwal Place, adding that those in attendance spoke of the valor and service of Drwal family members in World War II, their subsequent military service and the importance of the street sign ordinance that ensures those who serve are never forgotten.
During the celebration, Kaplan also honored the staff and students who work at the Bombers Beyond Café on Main Street, according to a news release. That included the presentation of a $1,000 donation to the Sayreville school district’s Transitions program, which operates the community-focused coffee shop to provide vocational training to young adults with special needs.
The developer, meantime, noted that Camelot on Main Street recently won Community of the Year at the New Jersey Builders Association’s annual Sales and Marketing Awards and the Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey’s annual FAME awards.
