The plan to convert the former Appliance-Arama warehouse to office use and to build on two adjacent lots would have been the first new commercial development in eight years, officials crowed at the time. In this 2009 post, Plaintalker questioned the addition of new office space to a downtown awash with excess commercial space. For whatever reason, the project did not go forward and now at the Sept. 1 Planning Board meeting, the developer will offer a revised plan for approval.
Instead of the formerly proposed addition to the three-story warehouse and construction of a new four-story building next door, Cretella wants to renovate the warehouse and put a one-story building on the adjacent lots. The Planning Board meeting is 8 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.
When Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs took office in 2006, the city had roster of more than a dozen development proposals. The new administration added a few more, but by the mayor's second term, most had faded away, leaving Cretella as the city's big hope with seven proposals. The most active is a plan to convert Park Avenue buildings on the PNC Bank block to residential and commercial use. Others have received approvals but no work is evident at the sites.
Over the years, Cretella has switched the focus of his proposals from the North Avenue Commercial Historic District by the main train station to streets a bit further away. The largest is a 148-unit transit-oriented development on the PNC Bank block, known as West Second Street Urban Renewal LLC.
It might be time for the administration to give an update on where all these proposals stand. The Planning Office is keeping track of the status of each project, several of which have been revised. Maybe a short review at a City Council meeting is in order.
--Bernice
How about if Frank actually completes a project before worrying about scaling another one back. We keep hearing about how much he is doing, but right now its all talk until the work is completed. I've seen his work and it is good, but to date, we have nothing complete here in Plainfield. Lets get the Park ave buildings finished and occupied, then worry about Front Street. How about if he renovates the existing building, gets it occupied, then builds the new one next door. We've waited decades to get this far, whats another year or so??
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that so many plans to upgrade Plainfield have resulted in a downgrade. It started with the ugly buildings a Park and Madison which, instead of bringing income into the city have cost us money and suck money out of the city. When are we going to recall this waste of a mayor and get someone who will open their minds and honestly try to help this city? I love Plainfield and can't understand why we don't see improvements in this city and why we allow outsiders to paint us as nothing but a large ghetto full of drug users and sellers. When will we have an administration that will work for us and not against us?
ReplyDeleteyou know I go agree with both of you but let's not forget your assemblyman jerry green, we can't let him off the hook he has some dealing on why the administration is like this too. It starts from the top and trickels down. They both have to go and then some
ReplyDeleteNothing will move forward in Plainfield as long as Briggs and Green are in charge of the hen house.
ReplyDeleteJerry Green must go in the upcoming election. That will be the first step in the right direction; then, slowly but surely, the rest of the Idiot Empire will come tumbling down.
Briggs and Green don't have any interest in moving Plainfield forward. It would be a threat to their reign if they were to actually bring in knowledgable people to get the job done. They would have to succumb to actually working for all of Plainfield's residents, not just the few that support them.
I hope that so many of the voters in Plainfield will soon (preferably by election day) come to the realization that Briggs and Green are nothing more than self-interested manipulators using their friends and neighbors for the sake of their personal gain.
Please don't be afraid to vote for change, it's the only way that Plainfield can move forward.
Vote Democrat again....this year will be the year they stop blaming everyone else and do what those other 2 evil parties have been preventing them from doing ! Watch the New Dems fall in line and campaign for the same old tired dogs...Nothing like watching a group of fools do the same act over and over and somehow expect it to be different.
ReplyDelete