Give Back the Tepper's Basement

Ten years ago, the city took title to a 17,000-square foot basement space in the former Tepper's building. Despite many proposed uses, none came about. But with the expiration date for a half-million dollar federal grant looming, the city quickly spent it in September 2007 on creating what former City Administrator Marc Dashield called "a plain vanilla box." (See post here.)

That "box" is still empty. Meanwhile the developer has not pressed the city for years' worth of condo fees owed, due to the arrangement that divided the former store into 74 affordable housing units, a commercial portion and the ill-fated basement. The grant was specific to the site and could not be applied to proposed uses that were carried out elsewhere in the city, such as the new senior center at 400 East Front Street or the police monitoring of downtown cameras, now slated for the Police Division building at 200 East Fourth Street.

City Council uses were also discussed. Some council members wanted to move council meetings to the site or use it as office space for proposed council staff. More recently, council members wanted to see the space for themselves, but were denied the opportunity by the past administration. Councilwoman Rebecca Williams finally got to see it and declared it an "unfinished, junked up mess." See her post here.

Although developer Larry Regan downplayed the condo fee debt in 2010, he said payment would help the company carry out obligations such as development of a grassy lot on the Somerset Street side of the property. The city was apparentlys in talks at that point about the condo fees, as former Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson indicates in this post.

Williamson left city government in 2012 to become executive director of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority and David Minchello became corporation counsel. The Tepper's issue was among many unfinished items that Minchello had to pursue.

In July 2013, Plaintalker suggested it was time to find a way to give back the basement, but the city was in the throes of an intense mayoral contest. Now there is a new mayor and administration to look into the issue of the Tepper's basement specifically and use of grants generally.

From Plaintalker in July 2013::

At a minimum, the new administration should devise a way to monitor all existing grants and awards, along with conditions and expiration dates, and should make sure the efforts of federal officials to help the city are understood and appreciated. To do any less is an affront and can only make the city appear ungrateful and undeserving of future consideration.

--Bernice