Financing Sought for 100-Unit Proposal
Among items on a very crowded agenda Monday, a company called West Second Street Urban Renewal LLC received City Council approval to apply for financing to build a five-story structure with 100 residential units and a commercial portion.The project, known as West Second Street Commons, needs city approval to apply for New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency funding to meet "an existing housing need," according to the resolution.
The developer is the same one who was named in 2006 for the North Avenue Commercial Historic District. City Administrator Marc Dashield called the proposed project a "keystone to providing the density necessary to develop the rest of North Avenue." It is in the so-called North Avenue extension, on the block anchored by PNC Bank.
Questions from the council revealed that the project has not been reviewed by the Planning Board, but that it will be if financing is secured.
According to tax records, the property belongs to Koss Electronics. It is occupied by Appliance Arama. (Clarification: The stated address, 127 West Second Street, is just one of five parcels involved, on Block 245, lot 6. Lots 3,4,5,6 and 10 are all included on the resolution.)
Developer Frank Cretella has received various approvals in recent months for projects on Park Avenue, East Second Street and West Front Street. Each has its own unique name, such as "Next Step to Collins Avenue LLC," "Certified Green Property One LLC," and "Arts Loft I LLC."
The matter was not on the June 9 agenda and was not discussed in public at that meeting. The resolution Monday states that the governing body "hereby determines that there is a need for this housing project in the city of Plainfield."
Previous proposals by the developer have included four apartments at 212-216 Park Avenue, 12 apartments at 226-232 Park Avenue and 20 apartments at 158 East Second Street, each with a commercial component. Although past city policy has been not to increase rental housing, all these plans are for rentals.
Plaintalker will be tracking the progress of all these projects in the North Avenue Historic District and in the North Avenue extension. Front Street Offices LLC is another Cretella proposal that includes the Appliance Arama warehouse on Front Street and two city-owned lots which have not yet been acquired by the developer.
Although Monday's meeting was the last scheduled regular meeting of FY 2009, the City Council will hold a special meeting on June 25 to deal with several matters. The meeting will take place at 8 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Avenue.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 4:43 AM
9 Comments:
If the mayor's cabinet lived in Plainfield, they would know that there is plenty of vacant "affordable housing" already available.
We do not need any more affordable housing - Plainfield cannot afford it. And we don't need rentals. We need home owners who have a decent downtown area to visit.
The level of incompetence in Plainfield is mind-boggling. How are we even discussing subsidized housing in an area where we can't even drive down the street. Let alone all of the illegal apartments being occupied by illegal aliens.
9:30 am and 1:09 pm...you've said it all....I have nothing more to add!
I'm wondering whether the 75 apartments in the Tepper's building count toward density. Does anybody know how things are going in that building?
Wasn't the Teppers project originally proposed as luxury condos for seniors?
Plainfields only mentality is that if you get Section 8 rentals, you have nothing to worry about. It sickens me to see that everyone thinks that is the only way to go. We are the only ghetto along the tracks, not counting Bound Brook with thier flood issues, that has not taken advantage of the location. Look at New Brunswick. Same socio-economics and only 1 train station. Plainfield has 2. And what do we want??? More ghetto! Its time to sell and move on. Nothing will ever change here.
Teppers was proposed by the Regan Brothers of NY to be a luxury senior rental bldg. Im not sure who actually owns it now.
As I recall, it was proposed as a place for active seniors. But then the company couldn't get financing and switched to affordable housing, for which they could get financing.
This proposal like all the others for the downtown are not based on a redeveloment plan of any consequence!! These projects are strictly low income housing/subsidized housing. There is money for this type of housing. The population will not upset the pay-for-play agenda of Assemblyman Jerry Green and his factotum Mayor Briggs nor the political status qou in Plainfield. It is in-fill construction at its worst. We have no one to blame but ourselves. It is too bad that Jerry Green does not have the capacity to move Plainfield into the 21st Century with a vision that will insure a economic and social vibrant community. His policies and the flunkies he has hired to keep Plainfield in the tanke.g., Jenny W. Maier etc. have brought Plainfield to its knees. We will need more than God to help us. Plainfielders need to throw Green/Briggs out of town. Good ridence.
You are so right. This is simply providing spot zoning projects with no overall plan. While Plfd does have some of the draws, I am told we have an amazing Spa...the Castle Day Spa, nice restaurants on South Ave, Vivace for one, Blackberrys on Watchung, by the way, a secret hot spot for good food. We have very little else to offer.
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