Good news for neighbors of the Benson Street train station in Glen Ridge: The dilapidated structure has finally been sold by NJ Transit — for $150,100 or $100 above asking — to a Glen Ridge couple with experience restoring a total wreck.
NJ Transit said the property changed hands last Thursday, and was purchased by Richard and Edna Moriarty of Glen Ridge. The same couple bought a blighted property on Woodland Avenue in Glen Ridge in 1998, which had been seized by the town under eminent domain, and successfully restored it the condition shown above, right. The house won the Glen Ridge Historical Society’s preservation award in 2001.
What the Moriartys plan to do with the house is not clear. NJ Transit doesn’t know, nor does Glen Ridge borough hall. The station was declared a redevelopment zone last year, said borough administrator Michael Rohal. But if it is to be developed for any use other than residential, the owners will have to ask the planning board for variance.
The Benson Street station was an operating station until the Montclair Connection opened in 2002, and the old Boonton branch was closed. It was leased for years by freight rail operator Jimmy Wilson, who set out coffee for Boonton line commuters and used it to display railroad memorabilia. But he was eventually booted from the station when it fell into extreme disrepair and Glen Ridge declared it a hazard.
Pretty cool–I’m very curious what the new owners have in mind for the station. Any guesses?
My fantasy: a cozy wine/simple tapas bar with a small stage where they can have live performances (acoustic music, readings, etc.) several times a week. I’ll even volunteer to book it with great talent!
…Or they could flip it to the NRA. local chapter.
How’s that for a scary thought.
LOL, or the local chapter of The John Birch Society.
That house on the right is exquisite.
What great news….best wishes to Richard and Edna Moriarty!
or they can plant some boxwoods and you’d have Benson and Hedges.
What a fabulous job they did on that house on Woodland. I remember when it was sagging and surrounded by yellow caution tape because it was falling down.
The Moriartys did a fabulous job with the house on Woodland, and I know that whatever they do with Benson will be fantastic.
BTW, 49 Woodland was not seized under eminent domain, it was seized for non-payment of fines for failure to maintain – no payment was made to the previous owners and the proceeds of the sale were used to reduce property taxes in the Borough (about $30 per house net after legal costs).
The Borough put 49 Woodland out to bid with very specific historic and performance requirements, which helped ensure such a dramatically positive end result. Hopefully, NJT followed our suggestion and used a similar bid model when they put Benson Street Station out to bid, if so, we can expect things to move fairly rapidly.
Heard there going to make it a laundromat and beer place and call it Suds and Duds
What I’d like to know is if they made any money on 49 Woodland, which I agree is gorgeous.
They never sold it – they live there.
Moriarty family does wonderful things for the historical society. Before living on Woodland, they restored a home on Ridgewood. Its on the corner of Maolis and Ridgewood, and the backyard butts up to the rose garden. When driving by, you will notice that nice dual staircase coming off of the rear deck.
Im glad they bought Benson Station. Whatever they do (even if the make it a doll house) it will be great and I doubt anyone will complain with their craftmanship. I do hope it becomes a bar. My brother wanted to buy that place and name it the gas light, and decorate it much like Fitzgeralds, with old pics of Glen Ridge. This was back in the mid 90s, when the Station was still a museum.
Hooray for the Moriarty’s! Now can they look into 69 Woodland Ave?
yes, ms. rex… we need a place like that around here. it would be a nice change to be performing on this side of the hudson (the hackensack and the passaic).
Thank you Richard and Edna. You have many people behind you. (I’m dropping a hint for an arts’ center…)