Developer Frank Cretella received preliminary approval Thursday to reduce the scope of a proposal for offices and an adult day care center on West Front Street.In 2009, the Planning Board granted initial approvals to add a floor to the Appliance Arama warehouse and construct a new four-story building next door on two lots currently owned by the city. In the new application, the warehouse will remain at three stories and the new building will be two stories.
Cretella did not appear at Thursday's hearing, but attorney Jay Bohn and architect Jose Carballo explained that the change was needed for economic reasons.
"Rather than mothball the project, he wants to proceed with what is economically viable," Bohn said.
Each of Cretella's seven projects has a unique name and this one is called "Front Street Offices Urban Renewal LLC." The three-story warehouse would be renovated for offices, with some of the brick facade opened up for a glass treatment that would match the facade of the proposed new buildings housing the adult day care center. The center, which has preliminary state approvals, would accommodate 175 clients and would provide jobs for about 50 people, Carballo said. No tenants have yet been identified for the office space that would occupy the two upper floors of the Appliance Arama building.
The Planning Board stipulated that the developer must use materials for the project that will allow for future expansion. Member Ron Scott Bey raised questions about how the developer will create unloading and loading areas at the rear of the buildings on a city-owned parking lot, but that issue was covered in conditions imposed in the initial application, board attorney Michele Donato said.
Because the applicant has not met all the original conditions, the board gave only preliminary approval to the revised project. The applicant will have to return to the board to seek final approvals.
Plaintalker questioned the original office conversion in this January 2009 post, due to a high amount of vacant office space already existing in the city. At the time, Cretella said he had tenants for the proposed offices, but on Thursday his representatives said there were no tenants for the space.
--Bernice
Why does Plainfield have all its eggs in one Cretella pot? Is it because we are poison and no one will touch us, or is it that our administration is doing such a poor job. I thinks its a combination of the two and that's a shame. There is no effort to point out Planfield's many positives, so the negatives keep adding up.
ReplyDeleteBernice, Just to clarify something, you mention the Appliance Arama building, but show the Front Street Building. Front Street is where they are looking to reduce the scope of the project. The Appliance Arama project is the same so far. It is to be the new home of the PNC bank.
ReplyDeleteThe building in the photo was the former Appliance Arama warehouse, as I mentioned. The Appliance Arama store is across the street.
ReplyDelete