Thousands of cars pass by the corner daily, going north and south on Park Avenue and east and west on Seventh Street.
Camino received preliminary site plan approval from the Planing Board to convert the former office building to 14 apartments over commercial space that he hopes will attract a "mainstream retailer" and six small restaurants with cuisines reflecting the city's diverse ethnicities.
Board member Siddeeq El-Amin voiced a concern that a car could crash through the building if it changed from brick to glass and asked for decorative bollards to stop such an accident.
Parking emerged as the biggest issue. A small commercial adjacent to the building can hold seven or eight vehicles, but residents will have to use Municipal Lot 7, across Park Avenue, with parking permits. In public comment, Gregori Verb of Moorehouse Entities, the owner of the Twin City lot, spoke in favor of the project but said tenants would end up parking in his lot. He suggested "interior parking" under the building, which Camino called "a crazy expense."
The two dickered briefly over should bear the burden of costs associated with parking needs, a question likely to come up again as development increases. The Twin City lot is posted for shoppers only. Asked how he deals with others who park in his lot, Verb said he calls Matthew's Towing., and again said Camino could address the problem by increasing the parking " in their basement."
But he said he heard too many "what ifs" at the meeting and added, "We have to deal with what we have."
He said he knew of other developers who would be coming before the board and surmised that they will hear "some outrageous comments."
"Look at those two pictures," he said, indicating the present and future images of the building at Park & Seventh. "Which one do you want to see for the next 15 or 20 years?"
--Bernice
I think it's an incredible opportunity to clean up a section of the city that is slightly off the beaten path when it comes to not being IMMEDIATELY next door to the train station.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad the Twin City Plaza didn't look half as nice as the proposed revamp of 700 Park. I think it'll improve our neighborhood immensely.
Per parking, there is plenty of municipal parking near it that the residents and customers can use..and to think... PARKING PERMIT FEES.
If Twin City has a problem with people parking there...tow them..simple.
I'd shop more at Twin City if there wasn't an pervasive odor there and the shopping cart stoppers on the front of the store. I'll buy a handful of things there, but I'm not doing the dance of trying to get my car close enough to put a large amount of groceries from the sidewalk to my car.
This is a positive change. Parking concern's are real but the under used city lot back of the buildings on the other side of Park would solve the problem.I believe that the city should charge the developer for x number lots for tenants and potential restaurant users. The churches may have some say in number of available parking spaces. Police presence should get rid of the drunk/panhandler issue.
ReplyDeleteLooks awesome! Cant wait to see it. Its been a dump that the city has allowed to sit fallow for so many years. Parking is available across the street. Perfect. Mario, include a parking permit for 1 car in the rent. Make it easy. Cars are off the street and the city can get some revenue for the lot.
ReplyDeleteMoorhouse... your place is looking pretty shabby lately. You should talk... When is the last time you powerwashed the grime and gum off the walks in front of the stores? Its showing its age. Time to spruce it up a bit.
There should be 2 parking spaces per unit and guest parking with no exceptions! Developers come here and build apartments with not enough parking leaving us with people parking on city streets and they leave Plainfield with a pocket full of money. Just look around every apartment building in town now you can't drive down some streets becouse of all the cars parked on the street The new apartments on South Ave look nice but during the snow storm the plows had to go around the parked cars on the street and left South Ave a mess. I would not want to pay $1,200/mo for rent and have to carry my groceries for 2 blocks or even accross a busy street. Plainfield needs to find businesses to come to Plainfield and make jobs available for Plainfielder's so they can afford to live in a house or apartment that is already here.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:26 - your comment is interesting but you are confusing yesterday with tomorrow. The world is moving towards less driving and more condensed services living - which means people will live in an area where the majority of their needs are within a short to moderate walk. That is why that area is a transit development - it is equipped for just that kind of living. Is it fully functioning and move-in ready yet, No it isn't - but until someone discovers a store that sells drop in urban communities they have to be built one development and one block at a time. Rest assured that it won't be quick and it won't be easy or without issues - but neither is anything else in life. Its called progress and it can be a tough process.
DeleteWhy would anyone want to live over a store at a busy noisy intersection and have to walk across the street to park their car? Who would want to carry their laundry or groceries across the busy street? And what about security? Plainfield needs to say NO NO NO to greedy developers!
ReplyDeletePeople do it all the time in NYC, Jersey City, Hoboken etc. People need to understand that downtown Plainfield is not Mayberry - it is a city and in cities you have cars and traffic and noise and people walking. There are actually people that want to move to areas like that.
DeletePlainfield should not let developers come to the table unless they have enough parking for every retail and apartment building.
ReplyDeleteFinally, a beautiful design. Now, let's not waste it with crummy stores and rewtaurants that do not fit the exterior.
ReplyDeleteCome on, Plainfield deserves better.
The drawing of the propose building is absolutely beautiful and state of the art, however, very misleading. A more realistic portrait would be with a wide lenses that pans out to the rest of the corners and particularly across the street at the liquor store and pizza shop. I would not want to pay the kind of rent that would go along with such amenities he’s boosting about in that neighborhood. No one would. It’s more than just the surrounding buildings that are old and deteriorating, it’s the panhandlers, the group home 100 feet away, the church next door that doesn’t keep up their property, etcetera. Even the sidewalks along that area of Park Avenue look filthy. What in the world is all over the ground? Does everyone that walk that way chew a wad of gum and then spit it out on the sidewalk to become permanently engrossed in the cement? Ugh!!! I am curious to know what mainstream retailers he’s engaging or plan to engage. I’m starting to realize the word “mainstream” may have a lot of different meanings to people when it comes to Plainfield.
ReplyDeleteI know change can start one project at a time, but what is the plan for the rest of the area? Otherwise we will just have a newer building surrounded by a bunch of ugliness.
There is zero plan for the other buildings in the area officially and that is how this works - one developer takes the gamble/leap and others ride his coat tails and buy or fix-up surrounding properties. There is no magic wand for fixing up entire sections of the city, it requires outside funding and participation - so the secret is to help light the first match that gets the process going.
DeleteLets focus on progress and positive change and stop looking at all the negatives - we act like Plainfield isn't deserving of growth and redevelopment and if we continue to act that way we will never move forward and improve the city.
Yeah, but just don't be so quick to suggest lighting the first match. Sometimes that is literally the first step taken to drive out the old and bring in the new.
DeleteI want the eyesore on that corner removed, I'm only a block away, but I want responsible parking in this city. Perhaps Twin City should rent enough spaces for the tenants. No one parks in that part of their parking lot anyway. The Planning Board is allowing too much building without enough parking and all new buildings should have to provide enough parking for tenants, business or residental. Allowing buildings to be built without adequate parking is just too irresponsible and if you ever worked or visited any city in Hudson County you will be afraid for Plainfield. We need responsible planning and to stop giving builders everything they want if it is not good for the city.
ReplyDeletePlainfield has been left to rot for a long, long time and is too far gone to bring it back. I'm not staying around. And that glass building? Just a matter of time before it becomes target practice to see who breaks the most windows. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great building proposal. I can't wait to see how the community of Plainfield trashes the place. I can see it now... litter, human feces, graffiti etc. If the citizens of Plainfield want a positive change, then pay it forward and make the changes today. Clean up after yourselves. We shop at the Twin City shopping center regularly with very pleasant experiences. However, I can't tell you the number of times I have witnessed people park, empty their garbage into the parking lot then drive away, or the random person relieve themselves in the corner of the building. This new building proposal will experience the same troubles. I feel sorry for the businesses of Plainfield for having to combat the disgusting general public. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen the intersection by Park and Randolph-100 year old trees gone in hours, there is one tree left and it's dead! Go figure. Come see the mud puddle the troglodytes have created. Come at night it's so bright all they need is the XXX signs to make it comperable to old time square.Maybe they will put up golden arches! Even if you are active they sneek up with saws and Cat's of all kinds to rip up tear down and destryoy what is importat to this city. Than they say oops!
ReplyDeleteBut you can't stand a 100 year old tree up again, or put a victorian back on its foundation, or replace historic buildings that just happen to fall over.
No folks it does not happen in other communities. Follow the money.
The underlying problem that perpetuates a sense of hopelessness for Plainfield is the consistent abondonment and neglect that has occurred consistently for decades, mostly at the hands of greedy politicians and boat-loads of constituents who choose to vote along party lines because that's what will get them a job in town or at the county level. If it's not the job, it's the sports - but never, ever, never the school system or cleaning up the city or improving the image of the city. If you have ever attended a City Council meeting there is a great deal to be said for the priorities of many residents who speak during public comments. All special interests, all the time -- never a focus on the big picture.
ReplyDeleteNo one ever thought that Hoboken, Jersey City or Asbury Park would resurrect from the dead -- well they have and so have many other towns and cities across the state and country.
I'm sure that many residents have good memories from over the past 40 years, however, the better part that period has been nothing more than bad news for this historic city.
I think most people in town would choose to have lively activity downtown with a mix of residences and retail from which we all would benefit, instead of the usual trolls often seen at a corner like Park and Seventh.
There are many greedy developers -- but let's keep them in check along with the greedy politicians and administrators, and let's keep moving forward.
Plainfield is a diamond in the rough -- it's time to uncover its full potential.
Well said! Maybe if we can get all the naysayers to move out of Plainfield, things can get done! It is named the Queen City for a reason, and it can be again. One project at a time. One renovation at a time. Rome was not built in a day. Neither will Plainfield.
DeleteConsidering this ugly building has been sitting empty for over 10 years that I am aware of, it finally has a future and that future is now.
The shared lot is small. Maybe during the day when the Church has activities, it can be a timed lot. Limit the parking to 20 minutes. Evenings can be longer. Just a thought.
In case the naysayers have not noticed, aside from this building, it is a nice corner. The Scott Drug building is well maintained. Masonic Temple is well maintained and undergoing extensive renovations. Twin City could be nicer, but at least they try. You might not like the stores, but the spaces are all occupied. Either way, I cant wait for Mario to start cleaning up an otherwise ugly corner! Fix up the area and you can attract your Starbucks type stores.
NEVER!!!!
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