Toliver Wants Cretella Explanation

Art Lofts I, January 2016

At Monday's City Council meeting, Councilwoman Diane Toliver called for an update on Frank Cretella's project on Gavett Place.

"It's taking far too long," she said, calling it "an embarrassment."

Toliver wants Cretella to appear before the council and tell when it will be finished.

Plaintalker has a lengthy file on the project, which Cretella dubbed Art Lofts I. Originally he proposed to build above the former Romond's Jeep building, renovating the ground floor for retail space and using the second floor plus three new floors for 20 residential units. But after receiving approvals, he demolished the building for all-new construction.

That was in 2014, about four years after approvals. Such delays are not uncommon. Steve Cheung's 80-unit building between Roosevelt and Westervelt avenues was approved about eight years before everything was in place to proceed. Cretella's firm, Landmark Developers, has multiple projects in Plainfield and major projects elsewhere, such as The Ryland Inn and Hotel du Village.

Cretella did finish another project across Gavett Place from Art Lofts I, an adaptive reuse of the former Mirons warehouse resulting in 12 apartments. A restaurant on the ground floor is still being completed. He also readapted two Park Avenue buildings nearby for residential and commercial use.

Toliver said Monday if the Art Lofts building is not finished before winter, it will be going on three years of construction. She asked which council members were on the Economic Development Committee, one of six committees established by the governing body several years ago. According to a list issued in January, the chairman is Council President Cory Storch and members are Bridget Rivers and Gloria Taylor. Storch said the committee has not met, but asked Deputy City Administrator for Economic Development Carlos Sanchez to give an update.

Sanchez said the administration concurs that the project is taking longer than expected and that Cretella has been contacted. Sanchez said the city hopes for completion before winter. Councilman Barry Goode asked whether the city was giving Cretella a time frame, but Sanchez said they are asking Cretella for his time frame.

Ten years ago, Landmark was designated to redevelop the North Avenue Historic District.  The focus changed several times since then. Plaintalker has many posts on Cretella and Landmark. One was about a proposed brew pub and distillery on West Second Street. Another was for a French bistro in the ground floor of the old Courier News building on Park Avenue, There are many more to see on Plainfield Plaintalker and Plaintalker II by keying Landmark or Cretella in the search box at upper left.

For years, Cretella dominated redevelopment in Plainfield and the inclination was to let him proceed at his own pace, but with so much new development to monitor, maybe it's time to wrap up a few things.

--Bernice

Ground Broken for New, Five-Story Building

Frank Cretella

Plainfield's most ambitious developer says his enthusiasm for the Queen City is starting to be shared by an important faction - lenders.

"Two years ago, you could not get a construction loan," he said as officials gathered on Gavett Place to break ground for his five-story Art Lofts project.

Receiving financing for new, ground-up construction "says a lot," Cretella said.

The building will have 20 apartments on three upper floors and retail space below, with a courtyard and amphitheater for outdoor events, just across the street from the main train station.

Cretella's company, Jersey City-based Landmark Developers, has nearly a dozen Plainfield projects in its pipeline, some of which were pictured at the groundbreaking. The largest envisions 148 apartments on West Front Street and will also be new construction.

Meanwhile, Cretella has rehabilitated several downtown properties on North Avenue and Park Avenue, garnering approvals not only from Planning and Zoning boards but also from the Historic Preservation Commission, as several are in the city's original downtown, the North Avenue Historic District.

Deputy City Administrator Carlos Sanchez, who is now in charge of economic development in the city, recognized several land use board members who attended and praised their work.

"Board members are the key to getting projects moved," he said.

Sanchez also had kind words for Cretella's tenacity through past years. Besides the economic ups and downs, Plainfield had developed a reputation as a tough town to get things done. Having known Cretella in those days and hearing of his interest in the city, he recalled asking Cretella, "Are you sure?"

The answer was clear.

Carlos Sanchez, Frank Cretella

"He came here and he made a commitment not only to invest, " but to stay, Sanchez said. "He's here for us for the long haul."

Mayor Adrian Mapp, who took office on Jan. 1, said of the groundbreaking, "This is what we have been working for. This is what Plainfield needs."

Mapp envisioned people getting off the train and stopping to eat at one of Cretella's proposed restaurants with outdoor seating, and maybe shopping as well..

"We want to encourage people in our downtown," Mapp said.

He also acknowledged developer Mario Camino, who purchased the nearby former First Atlantic Bank and is renovating it to be headquarters for his company, Arkad Group.

 A banner that could be seen from the groundbreaking site promotes Plainfield and Camino's enthusiastic web site.

Mapp also hailed the expansion of Union County College to the former Thul site as another good omen.

Councilwoman Vera Greaves, Planning Board Chairman Ron Scott-Bey, Council President Bridget Rivers, Mayor Mapp, Frank Cretella, Planning Director William Nierstedt.

Officials including Mapp, Planning Director William Nierstedt and others lined up for the obligatory photo op with ceremonial shovels in dirt.

Cretella's company has developed its own promotional blog, named plai-do.com for "Plainfield Downtown." Besides information on the company, the blog has features on local eateries, personalities, cultural highlights and Plainfield history. Take a look!

(Click on any image above to enlarge and see a slide show)

--Bernice

Camino: Real?

Down on North Avenue Saturday, a contractor named Carlos beamed as he pointed out buildings he said would soon be acquired by the Arkad Group. He was working on one already owned by Mario Camino's firm and he knew that its location in the North Avenue Historic District would require replacing its wooden windows with the same.

That might have been one up on Landmark, Frank Cretella's development company. Even though Cretella has been involved with the historic district since 2006, in February a representative of the company apologized to the HPC commissioners after the fact for installing vinyl windows in a building next door. The commissioners were hearing four Cretella applications that night and all had to be carried to future meetings for lack of needed details..

That's perhaps why the Courier News article published today on Arkad's big plans for the downtown came like a bolt from the blue. Camino's vision parallels the same blocks for which Cretella has been the city's main hope for most of the past decade.

"Dueling developers," a North Avenue merchant quipped Saturday.

A duel or a race?

While Cretella's city projects appear to be dragging, Camino seems intent on seizing the baton.

As someone who tries to follow the land use boards closely, I was unfamiliar with Arkad Group and will now have to pay all the more attention.

As described in the news article, Arkad has acquired the former bank building at 107-117 Park Avenue and plans offices and a restaurant in the existing space, plus a rooftop addition for apartments. It's half a block from the PNC Bank building, where Cretella dropped plans for a rooftop lounge with a shallow pool.

Cretella's plan in 2006 was to acquire buildings in the North Avenue Historic District, preserve the facades, and build higher behind them, something Camino is similarly proposing now. Many will be watching to see how it goes, now that the city is emphasizing downtown transit-oriented development. Zoning changes will permit more intensive housing by the main train station on North Avenue, and the city is seeking a transit village designation.

While wending his way through Plainfield's sometimes onerous gamut of approvals, Cretella has not been sitting on his hands. Maybe there is not yet a French bistro on the ground floor of the refurbished "Courier News" building on Park Avenue, but Cretella, owner of the prestigious Stone House restaurant in Warren, has also acquired the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station and Hotel du Village in New Hope. One of his frustrations in Plainfield has been the need for a liquor license or two for his hospitality projects here.

With a new mayor and administration anticipated in January, residents are hopeful that the Queen City will have another chance for a renaissance. When Mayor Albert T. McWilliams left office in December 2005, there was a full roster of development projects. Over the past eight years, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs brought forward several others.So far, only The Monarch, a 63-unit condo development, has been built and now it is largely rental units. Cretella's projects have yielded 12 apartments and Paramount Assets, which owns 45 downtown storefronts, has also developed apartments on Park Avenue.

Now that we have been introduced to Mario Camino by the Courier News, he's likely to get a royal welcome from Plainfielders who agree with his vision of success for the city. Maybe a 2014 "Year in Review" will come off better than what we can report for 2013.

Links: "Queen City Revival"
          Arkad Group


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City's Main Developer Refocusing Elsewhere?

Developer Frank Cretella has dropped plans to add a fifth story "lounge" to the PNC Bank building and appears to have slowed down on other projects in Plainfield while moving ahead on renovations of a country estate near New Hope.

In May, Cretella withdrew two applications that had been pending before the Historic Preservation Commission since February. One was to put awnings on the Courier News building that has been converted to eight apartments, with a restaurant planned for the first floor. The other was to make exterior improvements to the PNC Bank building and add the fifth story, as reported here. The bank project was first unveiled in 2009, with the promise of a Trader Joe's, but in February architect Jose Carballo said that was no longer viable. Commissioners had questions regarding the fifth story lounge and a proposed shallow pool on the roof and the matter was carried to April, then to May.

As reported by Plaintalker, all four applications discussed in February were carried. The two North Avenue projects not withdrawn in May were discussed again at the June 25 meeting, with only assistant planner Gabe Bailer representing Cretella. Bailer as unable to give definitive answers to commissioners' questions on some aspects of the plans and the two applications were carried to July.

Meanwhile, Frank and Jeanne Cretella are bringing their more than 25 years of success in hospitality ventures to renovating Hotel du Village in Bucks County. See details here. The new venture follows their renovation of the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station.

Hospitality and real estate development are the two streams of Landmark Developers, Cretella's Jersey City-based firm, but the former seems to be favored. Cretella began his real estate involvement in Plainfield in 2006 with ambitious plans for North Avenue and eventually had nearly a dozen projects on the books. So far, only the eight apartments in the Courier News building and four apartments and a medical office in another Park Avenue building have been completed. In the same time frame, Landmark converted the former Chanticler Chateau in Warren to Stone House Restaurant.

Cretella's Plainfield plans include some hospitality venues, but he needs one or more liquor licenses and so far none have been acquired. The city has more liquor licenses than permitted under a state formula, but older ones were "grandfathered" when the formula was adopted. Official sentiment has been that there should be no expansion of licenses and any defunct ones should not be revived.

Cretella's most ambitious project for Plainfield, 148 residential apartments and commercial space on West Second Street, received approvals in 2010, but ground has not been broken. Conversion of the former Mirons Furniture warehouse and the Romonds Jeep building have also stalled. Still, of numerous development proposals floated since 2006, Cretella's have emerged as the most viable.

--Bernice

Park Avenue Project Changes Approved

Developer Frank Cretella received Planning Board approval Thursday for changes in one of his projects, swapping medical offices for retail uses.

The project, Certified Green Property One LLC at 212-216 Park Ave., was previously approved with 3,565 square feet of retail uses on the ground floor, basement storage and four apartments on upper floors. Representing Cretella, attorney Jay Bohn said the new plan was to have medical offices on the ground floor and in the basement. Poring over new site plans handed out at the meeting, planners discovered kitchens and offices in the basement as well as an X-ray room, doctor’s offices and waiting rooms on the two levels.

Planning Division Director Bill Nierstedt called the new proposal a”major change” and noted that the developer tended to use “retail” to encompass uses as different as restaurants or offices. The discrepancy came about when city Construction Official Joseph Minarovich told Nierstedt he had received plans that differed from what was filed in the Planning Office.

Cretella was absent due to a family medical emergency, but after questioning Bohn, planners favored accepting the changes. But they wanted Cretella’s intentions documented in writing. Another component was a blank space on plans that Bohn said was intended for a temporary development office. Board member Ron Scott-Bey questioned what its ultimate use would be.

Cretella had casually mentioned the changes at the Aug. 5 meeting while discussing another application. On Thursday, Nierstedt said of the changes, “I sense very strongly that this will happen again.”

Cretella has more than half a dozen projects in the works in various stages of approvals, all of which have “retail” components. The one considered on Aug. 5 had 2,482 square feet of proposed retail space, which turned out to be a restaurant that extended to outdoor dining space.

Cretella is expected back at a Sept. 2 meeting for a hearing on Arts Loft I LLC, the former Romonds Jeep building, and in October for West Second Street Commons, a large apartment development on the PNC Bank block.

Councilman Cory Storch, liaison to the Planning Board, asked for a summary of all the projects.
(Click here to see Plainfield Plaintalker’s previous stories on Cretella proposals. Plaintalker II's stories are here.)

--Bernice Paglia

West Second Street Project OK'd

Developer Frank Cretella won final site plan approval Thursday for what will be the largest downtown residential project in the city’s history.

West Second Street Commons will bring 100 rental units and 48 condos, plus retail uses, to the block now anchored by PNC Bank. Planners wrested some concessions on traffic, landscaping and parking from the developer before giving unanimous approval to the plan.

A proposed new two-way exit onto Park Avenue will be modified to permit only a right turn south after planners questioned the impact on traffic flow of vehicles crossing lanes, especially at peak hours. Cretella spoke in favor of giving drivers the most options possible to get in and out of the development, but board member Ron Scott-Bey was most outspoken on the need to avoid backups on the city’s busiest north-south road.

“Giving people choices is not always the best way to go,” Scott-Bey said.

While no parking is required for residential development in the central business district, the developer had proposed 132 spaces for all uses and on Thursday increased the number to 141. Expert witnesses for the developer leaned heavily on the notion that residents of the new project and shoppers would use public transportation or walk downtown, Scott-Bey said, “We’re not a walking village yet.”

On one idea to improve parking, Cretella said he was interested in using the currently under-utilized parking garage next to the Park-Madison office building, but ran into “stupid nonsense” in trying to talk to the owner. Constructed by the Union County Improvement Authority, the garage was supposed to be open for other than office use at times, but talks over several years have yielded no results.

Planning Board Chairman Ken Robertson urged Cretella to “put as much pressure as possible” on the authority for use of the garage, saying, “They walked out on this board.”

The developer will also allot 55 of his proposed parking spaces for “compact cars,” which traffic expert Paul Gowing said would include vehicles such as the Prius, Cooper Mini and SmartCar. Board member Barbara James also suggested use of the shared-rental ZipCar to alleviate parking issues.

The project has only a 10-foot driveway abutting the Raritan Valley line at its south border, but planners asked for a buffer of trees alongside the embankment. Trees and shrubs will also be planted along the western property line, which abuts a PSE&G power station. Trees will be of a columnar type to suit the narrow space.

Cretella plans to erect 100 rental units first, for which he is seeking completion of an HMFA financing agreement and a payment in lieu of taxes plan with the city. The 48 other units will be built later and sold as condos. The PNC Bank will move from its historic building at Park Avenue and West Second Street to new quarters in the retail portion of the project. Cretella is seeking to buy the old building and transform it for hospitality and commercial uses.

One last item is the disposition of the historic Titsworth-Sutphen building, which will be moved off the West Second Street site to make way for construction. Although a city-owned lot at West Second Street and Madison Avenue was mentioned as a possible new location in past talks, other options are still being explored. Cretella will have to seek the endorsement of the Historic Preservation Commission for the final decision on where the pre-Civil War building will be relocated.

--Bernice Paglia

One Developer, Seven Projects in 2011

Image: Utility work in front of a Cretella building.

One of the "Year in Review" stories I had hoped to do pertained to redevelopment projects in Plainfield. In 2010, little was heard from any developer except Frank Cretella, who received multiple approvals from land use boards and the governing body for various projects.

Cretella has set in motion seven projects, so many that the Planning Division drew up a fine-print chart to keep track of them all. He had purchased various parcels under individual limited liability company names, but all came under the aegis of Landmark Developers, the approved developer for the North Avenue Commercial Historic District about four years ago. In 2010, the city formally allowed him to change the thrust of his plan from new, high-rise construction behind existing historic buildings to rehabilitation of some sites.

His properties include the former Mirons furniture warehouse and the Romonds Jeep building on East Second Street, two buildings south of the PNC Bank on Park Avenue and the Appliance Arama warehouse on East Front Street. His plans include acquisition of the PNC Bank and other bank-owned property on the block bounded by the Raritan Valley Line, Park Avenue, West Front Street and the PSE&G power station on West Front Street.

Plaintalker has reported on most of Cretella's applications, which include residential, commercial, hospitality and cultural uses. The most ambitious is West Second Street Commons, which is slated to bring 148 residential units to the bank block and which has been described as the "critical mass" downtown necessary to kick off transit-oriented development. The City Council in late 2010 approved a "payment in lieu of taxes" plan that Cretella said was necessary to obtain financing for the project.

Recently there has been new talk of the need for a parking structure downtown. A six-story parking deck had been envisioned years ago to replace Municipal Parking Lot 6 on East Second Street, but then Cretella himself said there was ample ground parking in city lots. Now the notion of a deck or garage has resurfaced.

During the early years of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' first term, officials gave updates on more than a dozen other development proposals, but not much has been heard since. No doubt the economic downturn has put many in abeyance or just sunk them. Cretella has emerged as the city's best hope at present.

Plaintalker followed applications through the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Historic Preservation Commission, but a comprehensive presentation on where all these projects stand would be of interest. In the mayor's first term, Public Works & Urban Development Director Jennifer Wenson Maier was in charge of economic development. She continued briefly in the mayor's second term that began Jan. 1, 2010, but since then her successor, David Brown II, left the city. Jacques Howard is currently the acting department head.

Maybe between the administration and the council's Economic Growth Committee, a presentation can be made on the status of the seven projects in coming weeks or months. Meanwhile, Plaintalker will endeavor to keep up with any news on the projects.

--Bernice

HPC Mulls Historic House Relocation and More

Developer Frank Cretella came before the Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday with two applications needing review, one for a plan to place a nightclub on top of the existing PNC Bank building at Park Avenue and West Second Street, and the other for relocation of the historic Titsworth –Sutphen Pre-Civil War building from the proposed site of a 148-unit apartment development on West Second Street.

The bank proposal was a referral from the city Zoning Board, as the bank is within the North Avenue Historic District. The relocation of the Titsworth-Sutphen building was referred by the Planning Board.

The only thing the HPC can do is to issue a certificate of appropriateness for the proposed action. The other two boards must still vote on the applications.

Preservationist Gail Hunton questioned the scope of work on the bank building and also the addition of a glass awning to the front. Cretella said limestone on the bank will be cleaned and the awning will have internal gutters for rainwater. Hunton requested that the developer bring photos of the bank as it is now when he comes back for final design approval. Commissioners had no initial objections to the plans and approved forwarding them to the Zoning Board, which meets on Sept. 1.

There were several questions raised about relocation of the Titsworth-Sutphen house, which Hunton said was one of very few pre-Civil War buildings still standing. It belonged to a mill owner during the Civil War era, she said. The developer proposed possibly moving it about 250 feet to a city-owned lot at Madison Avenue and West Second Street.

Architect Dennis Devino said the building had to be moved to make way for a five-story building with retail uses on the ground floor and 148 apartments above. If it remained at the site, it would be blocked in by the new construction on West Second Street. If it could not be moved to the city-owned site, there were other possibilities nearby, Cretella said.

“I am personally uncomfortable recommending a relocation without a site established,” Hunton said.

The commission decided to have a subcommittee investigate the current condition of the building, including how it is attached to a more modern addition. The frame house would be lifted off its foundation and placed on a new foundation at the proposed relocation site, Cretella said. But commissioners gave approval to refer the application to the Sept. 2 Planning Board agenda.

Although the HPC could not comment on either of the applications except for the historic aspects, several details emerged in the discussions. The developer plans to change a current one-way driveway onto Park Avenue into a two-way driveway, which will serve parking for 132 vehicles on the block. Cretella already has two other projects on the block, one for four apartments over commercial space and one for eight apartments over space for which he now proposes 10 physical therapy offices on the first floor and in the basement.

In all, Cretella has seven projects in various stages in or near the North Avenue Historic District. He has purchased, through limited liability corporations, the former Mirons warehouse, the former Romonds Jeep building, the old Courier News building on Park Avenue and another that had been an addition to the PNC Bank as well as the former Appliance-Arama warehouse on West Front Street.

The two applications reviewed by the HPC Tuesday were jointly made by the developer and the owner, PNC Bank National Association.

--Bernice Paglia

One Project Reviewed, More Detailed

Photo collage of all Frank Cretella's downtown projects.


Thursday's Planning Board meeting included a review of all developer Frank Cretella's seven proposed projects in Plainfield as well as a hearing on aspects of the most ambitious plan, for 148 apartments and 12,300 square feet of commercial/retail space.

Plaintalker has previously described the array of projects in several posts. There are seven in all, in various stages of approvals. Click here for past posts on Plaintalker II. The original blog, Plainfield Plaintalker, may also be searched by putting "Cretella" or "Landmark" in the search box.

At Thursday's hearing, parking was a key part of the discussion. Only 132 spaces are provided in the application for the five-story building on West Second Street. Even though there is no parking requirement in the central business district, Planning Board members questioned how visitors to the residential portion and customers to the commercial part of the proposed building would be accommodated.

As presented, the plan includes tenant parking only, with nine spaces for the PNC Bank, which will relocate to the ground floor of the new building.

Although the notion has been floated that many residents of the 68 one-bedroom and 80 two-bedroom rental units will not own cars, board member Ron Scott-Bey said the plan was "creating congestion" because tenants of a two-bedroom unit were likely to have two cars.

"This is Plainfield, this is America - they're not riding horses, man," Scott-Bey told architect Antonio Aiello.

A large parking garage that stands across the street was ruled out because the city and the Union County Improvement Authority, which owns the garage and adjacent office building, have never worked out an agreement on its use. Councilman Cory Storch asked attorney Jay Bohn whether the developer was willing to negotiate directly, but Bohn said the developer is already dealing with the Plainfield Parking Bureau for permits at other sites. Bohn expressed reluctance to get involved with more outside agencies over parking.

In support of the plan, board member William Toth, an architect, said a main goal of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Design) standards was to encourage pedestrian traffic and to discourage parking. Transit-Oriented Development parking requirements are "a lot lower" than what was proposed, he said.

Another issue that came up was Cretella's broad interpretation of "retail" and "commercial" uses. He recently changed an approved ground floor retail use at a Park Avenue building to 10 medical offices at ground and basement levels. Planning Director Bill Nierstedt cited a recent court case in which a developer's notice made a "vague reference" to retail/office uses, but did not let the public know it included a large restaurant with a possible liquor license. Board attorney Michele Donato said a developer must declare what he is actually doing, although he may not know all details in advance. Board chairman Ken Robertson said the case made a distinction between those who don't know and "those who are trying to get over."

Planners also asked which of the seven sites Cretella owns. At present, he does not own the PNC Bank building and the bank-owned site proposed for the West Second Street apartment/retail proposal. He has purchased buildings for other projects.

Storch, the governing body's liaison to the Planning Board , said a lot of people come to the city to talk about development, but he was not aware of many who actually purchased property. He called Cretella's acquisitions "promising."

In other discussion, Aiello pointed out details of the proposed building's facade that would make it more appealing, such as setbacks, metal cladding and parapets to give a "separate structure look." Aiello said there will be a second floor elevated terrace and a green roof system using plants such as sedums.

Late in the meeting, planners said they wanted to hear testimony on traffic, as the developer is proposing to change a one-way driveway onto Park Avenue to two-way use, while other driveways will open onto West Second Street.

The hearing wll be continued at the Planning Board's Sept. 16 meeting, 8 p.m. in City Hall Library.

--Bernice Paglia

Gavett Plans Get Preliminary Approval

Planning Board approvals Thursday advanced developer Frank Cretella’s plans for a multi-use complex on Gavett Place.

Cretella’s proposal for 12 apartments and a restaurant in the former Miron’s furniture warehouse received preliminary site plan approval. That project, dubbed Gavett Place Properties LLC, is complementary to redevelopment of the former Romond’s Jeep building for 20 apartments and retail uses as well as an entertainment venue. The proposed new five-story structure, with a stage facing the main train station, is called Arts Loft I LLC. Cretella told planners he sees the two projects as “bookends” on Gavett Place.

Originally proposed with retail space on the ground floor, Gavett Place properties will now have a restaurant that will extend into an open air space outside the building. Parking will be offsite.

The apartments are one- or two-bedroom units, although space requirements for an elevator may reduce the configuration. Among nine comments in a planning report, the developer was asked to increase the size of one-bedroom units so they were at least 150 Correction: 750 square feet. Cretella said the units may have to be reduced from 12 to nine to make up for the elevator requirements.

Planners also requested that restaurant deliveries be made between 9 and 11 a.m. to prevent conflicts with commuter traffic. Plans call for occasional closing of Gavett Place for events such as a farmers’ market or entertainment once both sides are developed. For refuse collection, the developer plans a refrigerated trash room in the building, as outdoor storage is limited.

Councilman Cory Storch, the governing body’s liaison to the board, raised the question of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. Cretella said he is aiming for the silver level of LEED standards, although he will not seek formal certification because of the cost.

The back of the building has no windows, something that concerned Planning Board member William Toth, as it can be seen from the train tracks. But Cretella said eventually there will be a new building to the rear.

The developer will have to return to the Planning Board for final site plan approval. Plans will be available in the Planning Division office and the public may speak before the board votes on the application.

--Bernice Paglia

Landmark Project Moving Along

The "Space Available" sign has been up for some time, but now Frank Cretella's company is forging ahead with conversion of the building at 212-216 Park Avenue. Plans call for 3,565 square feet of retail space on the first floor, with four apartments on two upper floors. This site, known as the "Espinosa" building for a former owner, is now on the tax rolls as "Certified Green Property One LLC."

Next door to the south, the former Thomas Furniture building, also a former Courier News site, is owned by a Cretella company, "Next Step to Collins Avenue LLC." It will have retail space on the ground floor and eight apartments.

For a few years now, Cretella has been the only developer with major applications before the city land use boards. Also on the block pictured is the site where Cretella proposes a project with 12,300 square feet of retail space and 148 apartments.

Plaintalker will track the progress of all seven Cretella projects as they develop. To read past blog posts, search "Landmark" and "Cretella" in the search box at the top left corner of the blog.

--Bernice

Cretella: Many Proposals, Most Pending

Developer Frank Cretella has proposed eleven projects, encompassing office space, apartments, restaurants and retail space. As the city moves toward new leadership, many of these projects are still awaiting fulfillment.

The oldest one listed on a master chart in the Planning Division is a 2008 proposal known as "Front Street Offices Urban Renewal LLC" at 216-232 East West Front Street. It was to include renovation of the former Appliance-Arama warehouse and construction on two city-owned vacant lots for offices and an adult day care center. To date, the lots remain vacant and an image on the warehouse is the only indication of what is envisioned.

Cretella's fondness for fanciful names comes out in the next two 2009 proposals, both on Park Avenue near the PNC Bank. "Next Step to Collins Avenue" at 226-232 Park Avenue has eight finished apartments over ground floor space still awaiting development of a French bistro. It is now called the "Courier News Building." Next door at 212-216 Park Avenue, "Certified Green Property One" has four apartments over commercial space occupied by real estate and medical care offices.

 Also proposed in 2009, "Art Lofts I LLC" at 148-158 East Second Street and "Gavett Place Properties" at 130-140 East Second Street received approvals in 2011. The former two-story Romonds building (Art Lofts) is slated for construction of three more stories, with retail space on the first floor and 20 apartments above. The old Mirons warehouse (Gavett Place) is expected to yield 12 apartments. Some work has been done at the Mirons building, but no work is visible at the Romonds building.

"The Bank on Park LLC" is the PNC Bank building. Retail and hospitality uses are proposed. An application for a fifth story lounge addition was recently withdrawn. The bank still occupies the building.

By far the largest proposal, "West Second Street Commons Urban Renewal LLC" at 101-209 West Second Street calls for a new five-story building with 148 apartments and 12,300 square feet of retail space. The developer will be required to relocate the historic pre-Civil War Titsworth-Sutphen building. No action has been taken to date on the relocation or construction.

A building eponymously designated "109 East Fourth Street LLC" is next to the main train station but not in any designated redevelopment area. It is under renovation for eight apartments.

 Three buildings on North Avenue, each also named for its address, are up for renovation with retail space at ground level and apartments above. They are 134-136 North Avenue LLC, 138-144 North Avenue LLC and 177-185 North Avenue LLC. In 2006, Cretella was designated as developer for a plan to acquire and renovate historic buildings in the North Avenue Commercial Historic District. The designation ran out before any buildings were acquired. The plan also called for taller new buildings behind the historic ones, yielding 915 residential units, 130,000 square feet of retail space and an entertainment center. See Plaintalker's post here. The Landmark Developers web site still describes a five-block project with renovation of 35 historic buildings as well as construction of up to 500 residential units and 136,000 square feet of retail space.

Cretella is often spoken of as the city's best hope for redevelopment, as other projects - Marino's, East Third/Richmond, Heartstone, Arlington Heights - have faded away. But recently his attention appears more focused on hospitality venues such as the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station and Hotel du Village in New Hope. Is it time for an accounting of where things stand with the Plainfield projects?

--Bernice

HPC Moves Talks on Cretella Plans to April

The city's most prolific developer had four applications before the Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday, but glitches caused all to be postponed until April.

All four matters involved exterior changes to buildings in the North Avenue Historic District, meaning the developer had to seek a "certificate of appropriateness" for each, in accordance with preservation guidelines. While each had a different corporate name, all the proposals involved Frank Cretella's company, Landmark Developers.

"Next Step to Collins Avenue LLC," also known as the Courier News building at 226-232 Park Avenue, has been renovated to house eight apartments and a restaurant is planned for the street level. The application Tuesday was for canvas awnings, but the discussion bogged down over seeming discrepancies between the drawing on architect Jose Carballo's easel and copies in the hands of the commissioners. When Landmark associate Gabe Bailer mentioned the firm would be seeking a 20 percent federal tax credit for the project, which he called "a beautiful, beautiful enhancement," city Preservationist Gail Hunton deemed it all more important that the drawings be precise. The matter was first put off until the March meeting, then later to the April 23 meeting.

Bailer began the next presentation, for 134-36 North Avenue LLC, by apologizing for the fact that vinyl windows had already been installed. Told vinyl was unacceptable, the manager for Cretella's Black Dog construction firm proposed painting the window frames to look like wood, but Commissioner Jim Galvin said, "We want wood windows, period." Manager Fernando Fernandez called it "an honest mistake," but commissioners were incredulous that the applicants were unaware of the city's Historic Preservation Design Guidelines.

Among other concerns, commissioners wanted to make sure the proper type of mortar would be used to re-point the brick facade and that storefronts would not look overly modern. Bailer noted tax credits would be sought for the project and effusively repeated, "It's an exciting time" for North Avenue. Again, commissioners called for more information and a solution to the problem of vinyl windows.

The third application got off to a bumpy start when Bailer produced revised plans for 177-185 North Avenue LLC, exchanging them for what the commissioners had in their packets. The developer had not yet decided whether there would be two or three storefronts and when commissioners asked how people would get upstairs, Fernandez said, "That's what's missing," and promised another set of drawings. With questions outstanding, that application was also carried to`April 23.

The last application dated back to 2009, when Cretella suggested the PNC Bank might become a Trader Joe's. Although the drawings still indicated the possibility, Carballo said, "Those conversations have gone by the wayside."

The application Tuesday, for The Bank on Park LLC, had to do with a proposed new "lounge space" on top of the bank building. It would be made of clear glass and metal and would be a place to go "pre-function or after-function, to go have a drink and enjoy the views," Carballo said.

Carballo said the developer wanted water on the roof in the form of a shallow pool, four to six inches deep, but commissioners had reservations about it. Commissioner Bill Michelson predicted it would attract mosquitoes. Hunton suggested the possibility of a "green roof" with living plants instead, noting architect Frank Gehry was creating such a roof for the new Facebook building.

"It would be better than water," Hunton said.

Commission Chairwoman Sandy Gurshman asked for more detail on the rooftop structure and Hunton asked to see drawings "that are farther along," leading to another postponement until the April meeting.

The roof addition drew praise from residents Gerry Heydt and April Stefel, and Michelson said, "This is the biggest opportunity we have ever had."

Cretella's projects numbered seven in 2010 and now there are 11 working their way through the land use boards or awaiting construction. The largest proposal is a 148-unit apartment complex on West Second Street.

--Bernice 

Cretella Adds A New Project

Developer Frank Cretella has a new project to add to the 10 already on his to-do list. It's a long-neglected office building next to the main train station, which he plans to transform into eight apartments.

His application to renovate the building at 109 East Fourth Street was before the Zoning Board of Adjustment in January and the hearing will continue at the board's February meeting, 7 p.m. Wednesday in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.

Unlike some of his other projects, the building owned by an eponymous limited liability corporation is not in a designated redevelopment area. It doesn't have a whimsical corporate name, like "Next Step to Collins Avenue," another Cretella project with eight apartments and a planned French bistro at ground level on Park Avenue. Because the East Fourth Street building takes up its whole footprint, it lacks yard space and has other issues that the board is discussing with the developer.

It also has some other challenges, as it has been a target for squatters. On Friday, the front door was open and waving in the stiff wind. I did not have my cell phone with me, but planned to contact police when I got home. By chance, there was a police car nearby in the train station driveway, so I told the officer that the building was unsecured. She said people are in and out of the building often. The huge chain and lock that  gave the appearance of security were just dangling on one side of the open door Friday.

Cretella has received approvals for a number of projects, both renovations and new construction, though not all have yet come to fruition. The "Next Step to Collins Avenue" building is now known as the Courier News building, in a nod to its historic use. Click here to read a February 2012 post about its renovation. Another project on the same block but on the West Second Street side is expected to bring 148 apartments to the downtown.

Cretella's company, Landmark Developers, has descriptions of some local development proposals, including the West Second Street project. Take a look here (click on Development, then on Building Green).

--Bernice

Two Cretella Projects Nearing Completion

Gavett Place Properties LLC

Developer Frank Cretella is putting the finishing touches on two projects on East Second Street flanking Gavett Place. Above, eight apartments are completed and plans call for a restaurant on the ground floor. A patio for outdoor dining is nearing completion.

Art Lofts I LLC

Art Lofts I LLC will have 20 apartments over commercial space at ground level. Cretella held a groundbreaking in July 2014. An adjacent city-owned space facing the main train station  is envisioned as an event venue and Gavett Place itself may be closed at times for large events.

The two projects are among nearly a dozen proposals by Cretella's company, Landmark Developers.

The largest is a mixed-use complex with 148 apartments and 26,830 square feet for office, retail and adult day care uses. The application dates back to 2008 and would be located on a former bank parking lot on West Second Street off Park Avenue.

Meanwhile, Cretella has renovated the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station and the Hotel du Village in New Hope, among other projects in the hospitality branch of his company. Keep- an eye on Gavett Place in 2017 to see how the plans for events and restaurants develop here.

HAP Wants City Lots, Council to Discuss

Click to enlarge

Two city-owned lots, eyed by both the Housing Authority of Plainfield and more recently by developer Frank Cretella, will be up for City Council discussion Monday on whether they should be conveyed to the Housing Authority.

The meeting is 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave., unless rescheduled due to the predicted snowstorm.

The larger parcel on the map above, Block 247, lot 7 on the tax maps, is Municipal Parking Lot 9 at present. It spans the block from the corner of Central Avenue and West Second north to West Front Street. The smaller lot, at the corner of West Second and Madison Avenue, is a vacant parcel where twelve condos were once proposed but never built.

A team including the Housing Authority unveiled a conceptual proposal back in October to put 86 apartments on the two lots, but the group was advised to deal with the city first before returning to the Planning Board with an actual application. In December, developer Frank Cretella made public his plans for a brew pub, artisanal distillery and a green market including a "food incubator" with restaurant and kitchen space for development of  food products to supply nearby restaurants. (See post here.) Cretella's firm seeks the two parcels plus two existing buildings between them.

The discussion Monday is on an ordinance conveying the two city-owned properties to the Housing Authority. Like Dr. Yood, I hope to visit the Plainfield Public Library to view the packet for details, if available. For example, an appraisal was mentioned at the October meeting, so does the Housing Authority or the development team intend to pay for the land? The team included Cecil Sanders and Malcolm Dunn; will their roles be spelled out? Mr. Dunn says he is not involved. It was unusual to have two development entities vying for the same city property conceptually, so in fairness should Cretella's idea be part of the discussion?

One hopes the discussion will be concise, as there are two other discussion items. One is appointments to the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee and the other, dear readers, is Legal Shield.

--Bernice

Art Lofts Rising Downtown

Art Lofts, a Landmark project on East Second Street and Gavett Place, is up to the second story now.

Workers were framing out the second floor of the building last week. It will have 20 apartments with retail space on the ground floor, as well as a courtyard and amphitheater, according to information on a city list of developer Frank Cretella's projects.

Here is another view. The main train station is across the street to the south.

On the opposite corner to the east on Gavett Place, Cretella is renovating the former Miron's furniture warehouse for 12 apartments, also with a courtyard. The exterior has been refurbished and this new facade is on East Second Street.

So far nothing has begun on Cretella's largest project, 100 apartments and 48 condos on West Second Street with commercial space on the ground floor. Cretella received approvals for the project in 2010.

--Bernice

Facade Work on Park Avenue

This building, once the home of the Courier News and later Thomas Furniture and Atkol, is being transformed into apartments on the upper floors, with retail space on the ground floor. On Saturday, workers were removing the multi-paned windows.

As with all of developer Frank Cretella's projects, it has a unique name: Next Step to Collins Avenue LLC.

The building to the right has been renovated and is leasing four apartments over medical offices at ground level. This one is known as Certified Green Property One LLC.

Click on image to enlarge and see the ghost "Courier News" sign.
In all, Cretella has seven projects in various stages of development. There are two more on this block, which is anchored by the PNC Bank. The largest is called West Second Street Commons Urban Renewal LLC and includes 148 residential units on what is currently a large parking lot next to the Raritan Valley Line train tracks. The bank itself is up for redevelopment as a nightclub and retail space, where Cretella once hinted at Trader Joe's as a tenant. That project is called The Bank on Park LLC.

There has been no action recently at  the former Mirons warehouse on East Second Street and Gavett Place, the former "luxury condos" Cretella has dubbed Gavett Place Properties LLC. Twelve apartments are to be part of that project.

Still to come are 20 more apartments on East Second Street in construction above the former Romonds Jeep site, now called Art Lofts I LLC. An office project, Front Street Offices Urban Renewal LLC, would occupy the former Appliance Arama warehouse, but work has yet to begin.

--Bernice

Front Street Project Reduced

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

Council Preview for Tuesday

Dear readers, thanks for your patience as I await resolution to my computer problems. I will probably not be able to file Sunday or Monday.


Among items up for City Council approval are the controversial gunshot location system, which is likely to be rejected for fiscal reasons. Also up are budget introduction for the 2011 fiscal year and accompanying layoff and furlough items. In addition, there are land use changes and a "payment in lieu of taxes" plan for Landmark Developers.


The administration put off the budget introduction last week, but council members urged doing whatever it would take to get the item up for a vote Tuesday. The city is also asking approval of the governing body to submit layoff and furlough plans to the state Civil Service Commission. Details were submitted only to officials under separate cover and were not made public.


The "payment in lieu of taxes" or PILOT proposal would benefit developer Frank Cretella's plan for West Second Street Commons, a 148-unit apartment complex on the PNC Bank block. Cretella has stated that funding hinges on having such an agreement. The proposal, which is the largest downtown residential plan ever proposed, is expected to produce the increased density necessary for success of transit-oriented development in the city.


The land use changes include permitting adult day care facilities in several zones, including medium/high density and high density residential and mixed-use zones. Cretella envisioned an adult day care center as part of his plan to convert the Appliance Arama warehouse for commercial use, but after receiving approvals, the plan has not moved forward.


Cretella has also proposed outdoor dining at one of his sites, the former Mirons furniture warehouse. The outdoor portion on what is now a parking lot would augment an indoor restaurant. He also wants to have an entertainment/hospitality venue at the former Romonds Jeep site across Gavett Place from the warehouse.


The permits for outdoor restaurants and sidewalk cafes would be reviewed by a committee consisting of representatives of the Planning, Fire, Police and Health divisions instead of being part of site plan reviews.

In addition, the amendments to the land use ordinance would include increasing the minimum floor area for two-bedroom units from 900 to 1,000 square feet and the minimum for three-bedroom units from 1,000 s.f. with an additional 150 s.f. for each extra bedroom to 1,100 s.f. with 150 additional s.f.

Those are some of the items on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, which will be 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.


--Bernice Paglia