Plaintalker previously wrote about a conceptual hearing on erecting 86 apartments on Municipal Lot 9 and another city-owned lot. Now Gabe Bailer, planner and assistant project manager for Landmark Developers, tells us about another concept.
"We envision these properties as a green market center comprising of a food incubator, a brew pub and artisanal distillery. The food incubator will be a shared kitchen and restaurant space to develop food products for production and to supply local and surrounding restaurants," Bailer said in an email.
While both Landmark and the Housing Authority want to use the parking lot that takes up most of the block bounded by Madison Avenue, West Second Street, West Front Street and Central Avenue, Landmark's plan also encompasses two existing buildings. Both plans include a small parcel at the corner of West Second and Madison, across from a city playground. (Click image to enlarge.)
Sketch of the brewery as envisioned by Landmark
At present, neither proposal has an application before city land use boards. A group including representatives of the Housing Authority of Plainfield and the Plainfield Community Development Corporation met with the Planning Board in October, but Chairman Ken Robertson told them to settle with the city first over land ownership. At a special meeting on Nov. 26, an ordinance to convey the land to the Housing Authority was deemed "not legal" by Corporation Counsel David Minchello, as it lacked a price and proposed redevelopment where no such designation was in place.
Lot 9 off West Front Street
Lot 9 at West Second and Central
The city parking lot has 113 permit-only spaces, but when Plaintalker surveyed all city parking lots in 2009, only 10 permits were sold Monthly permits are $25 for businesses, $30 for residents and $35 for non-residents and must be obtained from the Parking Bureau.
Pueblo Viejo Bar and Restaurant, West Front Street
The portion of Lot 9 opening onto West Front Street is flanked by Pueblo Viejo and a fish market.
Bailer's announcement was the first Plaintalker heard of Landmark's new proposal. Developer Frank Cretella already has about a dozen projects in the city in various states of completion, including plans for residential units, restaurants, an entertainment complex, offices and other facilities. While dealing with various land use boards and commissions in Plainfield, Cretella has renovated the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station and has another major hospitality project in New Hope.
The Jersey City-based firm has been seeking one or more liquor licenses in Plainfield to further its hospitality ventures here, but so far has not acquired any.
According to state Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations, a brew pub would require a manufacturing license as well as a "plenary retail consumption" license. From the ABC Handbook:
BREW PUBS
WHAT ARE “BREW PUBS,” AND WHAT ARE THEIR PRIVILEGES?
A brew pub, referred to in the A.B.C. law as a Restricted Brewery License, is a manufacturing license that
permits the license holder to brew malt alcoholic beverages in quantities not to exceed 3,000 barrels per
license term. This license can only be issued to a person or entity that identically owns a Plenary Retail
Consumption License which is operated in conjunction with a restaurant regularly and is principally used for
the purpose of providing meals to its customers and having kitchen and dining facilities. The restricted
brewery licensed premises must be immediately adjoining the retail consumption licensed premises. The
holder of this license shall only be entitled to sell or deliver its product to that restaurant premises. The
purpose of this type of license is to allow the holder of the license to manufacture product and to sell it at its
retail licensed premises. No more than two Restricted Brewery Licenses shall be issued to a person or entity
which holds identical interests in two plenary retail consumption licenses, used in conjunction with
restaurants, as previously discussed.
Since this is a manufacturing license, it will also need certain approval from the federal Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and may also require additional approval from the municipality in which it is located.
The proposed distillery would benefit from a new law effective Dec. 1 that allows production of up to 20,000 gallons of distilled alcoholic beverages annually.
Titsworth-Sutphen House
Landmark's concept also includes relocation of the Titsworth-Sutphen House to the other block, adjacent to the brew pub. The pre-Civil War structure is now on the PNC Bank lot on West Second Street and is being used by Angels in Action Foundation as an education center. As part of the approvals for Landmark's West Second Street Commons project in September 2010, Cretella pledged to relocate the historic building.
Historic sign on the Titsworth-Sutphen building
Regarding the "green market center" concept, Bailer offered this article by way of explanation of how it might work.
As with all Cretella's proposed projects, there is a strong sense of innovation and excitement involved in these ideas for the Lot 9 block. It is now part of the new Transit-Oriented Development-Downtown (TOD-D) zone and land use boards will have to determine how the brew pub/distillery/green market concept fits in with permitted uses. As details emerge, Plaintalker will endeavor to keep readers informed.
--Bernice
there is no way Sister Holier Than Though Bill Reid will allow a Brew Pub.. I mean unless they intend on selling drugs out of it, that doesn't seem to bother him.. Maybe someone should tell them to align themselves with a local dealer and have them testify on the developers behalf that they fully intend on selling drugs through their establishment, then it might pass Sister Reid's all condemning eye of illogical nonsense.
ReplyDeleteAren't there issues with liquor sales near where children are, given that a playground is across the street, as well as the day care center?
ReplyDeleteRemove the bilingual day care facility. The city should not be providing this service. There are plenty of non-profits that could do he job and in a location more suitable for children.
Deletefinally a proposal that will actually make downtown better instead of more low income ghetto housing
ReplyDeleteWhile I admire the vision and courage of Landmark I don't understand where their customers will come from. My limited experience with brew pubs is that they cater to an overwhelmingly white, upper-middle client base, a demographic segment rarely seen in downtown Plainfield. How will this time be different?
ReplyDeleteMaybe, if Plainfield gets its act together, white, upper-middle class people will integrate in Plainfield and shop here, eat here, and hopefully move here.
Deleteany brew pub I've seen in a downtown setting of a small or large city has always had a diverse customer base... the ones built in the white suburbs had the white customer base...
DeleteThere are plenty of customers already here! But look around downtown and where is there to go, there is no reason to go downtown hence we go other places
DeleteThis is the type of project Plainfield can use and benefit from. Not more low income projects. This brings jobs and taxes.
ReplyDeleteNo Gentrification !! Let's not lose the unique charactor of Plainfield's Downtown ... come Spring lets get those mattresses out on the sidewalks again !!
ReplyDelete