Checking on North Avenue Thursday, I could see a lot of daylight through the back of the fire-damaged building. Turns out it was being demolished from the rear.
The site is still blocked off and has a police guard, the same situation as a month ago after the Dec. 17 fire.
At first, I couldn't figure out what was going on, but then I saw this machinery moving behind the facades.
Looking down the alley off East Second Street, I could see a Dumpster being filled up with debris.
The extent of the demolition at that point could be measured by the fact that only the "Bull" part of the Bull Durham ghost sign remained.
By chance, I met the owner of the boarded-up building on the train track side of the block, who told me he has sold his building to Landmark. Then I encountered the owner of the bar on the block, who said an adjacent building had also been sold, but that he was holding out against selling his building and his liquor license. Meanwhile, small businesses next to the fire-damaged building have been shuttered for a month and some people on the block think the goal is to shut them down permanently.
These new developments point to more change coming in the North Avenue Historic District. Could more demolition be in the offing? The
original plan in 2006 was for developer Frank Cretella to acquire historic buildings and restore their facades, then build high-rise structures behind them. But meeting resistance from owners, Cretella refocused on the PNC Bank, where he has three projects including one with 148 residential units proposed.
If the dam of opposition has indeed broken among owners on the North Avenue blocks, things could change rapidly. Let's hope the Historic Preservation Commission and the public at large will be given the favor of an update soon.
--Bernice
Call the arson squad.
ReplyDeletejudging by Plainfield's history...ought to be a real winner with whatever goes up there..
ReplyDeleteLooking at what Landmark has done so far, it appears to be going in the right direction for a change. The renovations to date appear to be maintaining the historic facades and details of days gone by. Unlike Paramount who covers or removes everything. Even if the fire building comes down, it was not covered in historic detail that can not be replaced. (other than the Bull Durham sign) It would be faster and cheaper to simply remove it and start anew. It could have historic details put into new construction and have all the modern safety and personal necessities. Plus he could remove the single story building next to it and go up with a higher density for retail, offices and residential units.
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