Despite years in court — and one legal battle still to go — politicians donned hardhats today and gave speeches to celebrate the bulldozing of the old Bloomfield Center, otherwise known as Block 228, and the redevelopment that appears likely to start next spring. Mayor Raymond McCarthy wore a broad smile throughout the ceremonies, even as he was wrestling with an American flag that was flapping a little too wildly and when an NJ Transit train interrupted his speech. Rep. Bill Pascrell announced that he’d managed to secure $847,000 of federal transportation funds to help with the intersections surround the site.
“This is the beginning of a historic time in our community,” McCarthy said.  ”It’s a cooperative effort. And it shows what good government is all about. We start today moving this community forward. We’re here today as Bloomfield takes its next step in greatness.” Assemblyman Ralph Caputo declared the beginning of downtown redevelopment a renaissance: “This town is on the brink of making great things happen.”
Noticeably absent from the proceedings was Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, who is known to to love a bulldozer. DiVincenzo spokesman Anthony Puglisi said that his boss was invited, but was attending the opening of a meal site for seniors in Newark.
Despite the sunny skies that shined on the event, there is one cloud on the horizon, and that is developer Cary Heller’s legal appeal of the redevelopment plan, which was filed recently. It wasn’t mentioned until developer Bill Colgan took the mic, referring to it as “one hurdle to get over” and the work of an “obstructionist.”
Colgan estimates that 600 to 800 jobs will be created by the redevelopment — including construction and retail jobs. McCarthy quickly grabbed the mic after Colgan finished and called the legal appeal “unconscionable” because of the jobs at stake.
Colgan told reporters afterward that design work on the project will proceed despite Heller’s appeal, but that construction of the parking deck will have to await an outcome. “It’s prudent to get through the legal process when you’re underwriting bonds.”
Demolition of Block 228, which started today, is expected to be complete within about two weeks, if utilities can remove wires and pipes in time. Construction is expected to begin in the spring and take 12 to 18 months to complete.
That parking garage plan sounds like a predators dream come true, half open to the public and secluded.
And still no answers on why they are saying 2/3 of the apartments are spoken for yet they are getting train and traffic statistics from other projects and not from how those 2/3′s would actually travel.
Hope springs eternal.
We’ve already been told that BLOOMFIELD RESIDENTS will NOT have preference for those jobs. Thanks Mayor McCarthy.
Another civil lawsuit for Bloomfield.
Congressman Pascrell should not be seen in the same venue as Mayor McCarthy. The association taints his otherwise unblemished reputation.
Video looks like a scene from Jurassic Park.
Let the games begin!!!! This giant snafu will make the 2 year long Venner Park (the concrete triangle in front of the State Street Grille) construction look like a success. Nothing like building a giant development in the middle of a real estate market in crisis – with no signs of improvement. But the REAL treat here is: we get to watch Mayor McBlight make a bigger more arogant fool of himself – AND – we get to watch 2 multi-millionaires – Bill Colgan and Cary Heller – go head to head in a battle of egos, money, greed, and selfishness!!! What a coup for Bloomfield! Now the tax payers of Bloomfield will be subject to years more money going down the drain and a Town Center sitting in the waste pile that the Bloomfield Government created. Cheers!