The Midtown Urban Renaissance Corporation (MURC) is a NJ 501(c)(3) Nonprofit comprised of elected officers, a volunteer board of Trustees and a non voting group of volunteers known as "Friends of MURC" Gail Oliver complained to then Mayor Pat Munroe about the poor condition of the vacant lots that she had grown to ignore across from her family’s home on West Lake Avenue. This area became blighted
during racial disturbances in the early 1970’s when businesses were destroyed and people fled the area leaving a community that went virtually untouched for over 30 years. Mayor Munroe knew of a redevelopment program that was available through the state and decided that the township should pursue it. With the help of assemblyman Thomas Smith, the Midtown Community of Neptune was declared an area in need of redevelopment largely because of its proximity to the City of Asbury Park and the sharing of a once vibrant street known as Springwood Avenue and renamed West Lake Avenue. With this state run redevelopment program, the towns were required to organize a citizens’ council to work with the local government on a master plan that included the needs and concerns of the residents. During this process the Midtown Neighborhood Empowerment Council (MNEC) was created in 1999 to meet the requirement and Gail Oliver became its president and Gwen Love the director. The group originally operated within the city government of Neptune Township with the understanding of becoming a self sufficient non-profit within 5 years. They worked tirelessly to develop a council, conduct community meetings, write by laws and a strategic plan that the township adopted into the its own Master Plan. The group went through growing pains, but in 2005 it was named the community liaison between the township, the redeveloper (known as Cityworks) and the residents of Midtown. In the latter part of that year MURC moved into a shared office space that’s being financed by the developer Cityworks and is currently working to finalize a partnership agreement. In the October of 2006, MURC was awarded their 501C3 status as a non-profit, tax exempt agency.
