When Bloomfield’ s long losing court battles with property owner Anthony Ellenbogen finally ended in September after the town paid $2.75 million for his Lackawanna Place properties, it looked like it would be smooth sailing to finally get downtown redevelopment back on track. But Bloomfield being Bloomfield, the council couldn’t pull together at its next meeting to actually designate Ellenbogen’s old block — Block 228 — for redevelopment.
At last night’s Bloomfield town council meeting, they finally got the job done. And just in the nick of time, as the council discovered to its surprise. The town is in line to get a $12.7 million grant to help with redevelopment. One catch, which was news to most of the people in the room: the deadline for applying is today.
Parking Authority Attorney Joseph P. Baumann spent more than an hour pleading with the council to designate block 228 for redevelopment. The council finally did — unanimously.
“To the future of Bloomfield,” said Mayor Raymond McCarthy following his vote.
But not everybody was ready to join the toast. In fact, several had grave misgivings about the process. Here’s what a few of the council members had to say about the meeting:
First-Ward Councilwoman Janice Maly: Number one, my concern was I wasn’t informed. Number two, (former) Councilwoman Ritchings specifically told us that is the last property that should have been developed. The mayor’s comments was that was two years ago, but the last time I was updated was a year ago.
It will bring no income to the town. It’s true what they are saying, it’s a barren area but I don’t see much happening in the other areas. If we can help residents and business owners who need jobs and we can make that happen sooner, then why not? So, I’m just wondering why we couldn’t move it all at once. Why this one particular parcel. And where is our attorney? And why is the attorney for the parking authority coming? Although he was very eloquent and very gracious, one thing still remains: why can’t we move all of them? I felt at this time, I would rather wait two weeks and if the (attorney) can’t inform me then I will vote yes. I don’t think two weeks is going to make or break a center that has been looking like Stalag 13 for quite some time now.
Second-Ward Councilman Nicholas Joanow: My concern is a lack of information from the consultants or whatever you want to call them, to the mayor and council. For five months, none of us around that table knew anything in terms of what was said this evening. What we learned, we learned from the newspapers. I have grave concerns, about the concept of identifying an area of redevelopment. We are not moving forward on the plan, we are just identifying the specific plots and lots that needs to be developed. It will come back to the council, we will have control as to what direction those lots or blocks will look like, we will have total control. So all we gave at this point was to identify an area that needs help. But the lack of information, the continuity of information and having to read it secondhand and getting information from a reporter is not the way it should operate. And if we are going to be able to make decisions for the betterment of this community, there needs to be the ongoing level of communication.
Photo of an old billboard unearthed by demolition on block 228 by S.J.Streeter.
Is english Councilwoman Maly’s first language? Here’s hoping that what’s posted above isn’t an accurate transcription of her words.
I don’t trust McCarthy as far as I could pick him up and throw him. I’ve never voted for a Republican in my life — a streak I’d hoped to bring with me to the grave — but I can’t see how I can possibly for him in November.
As a resident of the 3rd Ward whose neighborhood abuts the Center, I could not be happier that the council finally got this done. Since Block 228 is the part of Bloomfield that looks like a war zone, and is the part closest to my neighborhood, I have no problems with that part being done first. While I know there may be aspects of the plan for redevelopment that may not be perfect, the perfect is the enemy of the good. And if by good you mean building something where it looks like the result of World War II bombing raids, I’m all for it. It’s now or never. We can’t wait to do this forever. While Bloomfield has been dithering around for 10 years East Orange and Livingston have both managed to do major redevelopment projects. This is only step one of a process – declaring something in need of redevelopment does not mean we will not have an opportunity to adjust what may be planned to be developed there. I do think there needs to be a new public meeting to inform the town about the progress to date and what the plans are since they have changed so radically since the previous plan.
Residents of East Orange, Newark, Irvington, Orange and a lot of other towns that have seen better days have never voted Republican either and look where it got them. What have the Dems done to improve/revive those towns for the past 50+ years of their ‘leadership”?
Way to go Bloomfield. Now onto the next step.
It’s all so simple, but the in-fighting among those in lofty places, as to whom is going to get his/her way, is more important to the “special people” than the good of the “townsfolk” and the health of THE town.
1. Town needs retail stores that represent the buying needs of the town’s residents, not the selections of the residents of Neighboring Newark and East Orange, but the residents of Bloomfield, Montclair & Glen Ridge.
2. Very few residents walk to Blmfd. Center, so, parking is a must
Give the people nice retail stores, featuring decent quality (as in Annie Sez”) and placeS (Note the capital “”S”) to park and they will come.
3. IF the elected officials, and the landlords of the buildings are clueless, I would suggest that they take a very short drive, (15 minutes) to South Orange Center, park, and walk around & take a visual notes, how it is accomplished. Check out the “foot-trafic” there and the many parking lots, as well as the performing arts center, and the retail diversity of stores. It’s 3 blocks long, just as Bloomfield’s is. That is where the similarities end.
A place to buy produce, and a good take out food for the trainies to take to work and take home would be a start.
The place is coming along however slowly. For example, the future “event street” (Washington St.) has a new cheesecake cafe and another new tenant next door.
The fact that both council members brought up lack of information as their first points is childish. Get off the soap box ladies and look for it. I spend most of my time proactively getting information I need to do my job – it’s considered earning my paycheck.
Considering how much time has passed on this project their comments show that they’ve really let things slip past them. The rest of Bloomfield’s government is equally pathetic. What is sad is these two don’t seem to know the message they gave out last night wasn’t a lack of information but a lack of willingness to go after that information. If they can’t reach it from their sofa’s then oh well ! I guess redevelopment doesn’t hold a candle to dancing with the stars.
There is no such place as “downtown Bloomfield,” and I wish you would stop calling it such. It is Bloomfield Center.
If you have ever attended a council meeting you would know that Maly and Joanow are the most professional and ethical of the whole lot. I am grateful for their presence and hope they continue to set an example for the rest.
I’m just a little perlexed. Did the reporter leave early or misunderstan?
The $12.7 million is LOW INTEREST LOANS and NOT grants and Bloomfield has until the end of the year to apply for them.
I second Nick Joanow’s suggestion that there be public meetings on this important development. The community needs to undertand what is being propsed and what we will be paying for. The last public input was given in and can still be seen on the Bloomfield website.
It is my understanding that in the studies that were done for the redevelopment that the parking garage was indentified as the last streucture that should be built. It doesn’t make sense to start on it first.
I agree with scottie that Joanow and Maly are the more ethical and sane ones.
McCarty pushing redevelopment a month before elections (instead of for the last nine years) makes me wonder if he is just trying to garner votes, or if he has a vested interested in the property.
I also have never voted for a Republican, but I’ll be voting Republican in November.
There is already excess demand for parking. There are people looking for parking permits that cannot get them because there are none left. Build the parking facility first and make it flexible enough to allow for further development on top of and around it. I really don’t see demand for apartments in that area, though I could be wrong. There’s another giant apartment building proposed for the abandoned building along the GSP near Home Depot. Is demand that strong for apartments in Bloomfield?
Did you hear that the parking structure is estimated to cost $50 MILLION Dollars?
We’ll be borrowing that money with no additional monies coming in.
I did not hear that. Wow. That’s not chump change.
It shall be called “The Center at Bloomfield”.
The Lipton’s & Fischer’s murals should be saved and restored.
Burn it down! For the last 15 -20 years it has yielded nada–n-a-d-a! So, best case take it out until you have something worthwhile to talk about! Bloomfield center is a piece of crap! Go to Westfield and learn something about urban planning! Go to Summit, take a ride to Ridgewood–go take it! Take a good look at what you’ve got then look in the mirror and tell yourself you’re proud–barf!
The Lauraloonie and Jimmytown slate wins by a landslide.