Businesses Shuttered by Demolition

Businesses including two popular Latino restaurants are closed after debris from a demolition project destroyed one of them.

No one was injured in the incident Saturday when workers were performing an emergency demolition at 117-125 North Avenue.

This is another section of the Mi Buenaventura restaurant..

 "Notice to vacate" signs were placed on the doors of all the businesses in the one-story building. For the restaurant, the "Sorry We're Closed" seems like a sad understatement.

This image shows the same restaurant next to the building after the suspicious December 2011 fire that caused the block to be closed for weeks.

A barbershop is also affected again.

This sign is on another restaurant in the building.

The remains of the building at 117-125 North Avenue are fenced off.

The demolition Saturday appeared to have been done by B&B Disposal & Demolition of Newark. This logo is on a container of metal scrap from the demolition, including the fire escape and metal beams.

A special City Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday in City Hall Library. Three resolutions are on the agenda, one authorizing an "emergency demolition," another establishing an appropriation of $250,000 to pay for it and a third awarding an emergency contract to Yates Real Estate Inc. to do the demolition at 117-125 North Avenue.

The other building, 127-135 North Ave., is the subject of a Planning Board application set to be heard on April 2. The application extends to the East Second Street side of the block, where the owner proposes to create five apartments and first-floor commercial space. The rear lot of the North Avenue building would be used for parking and a trash bin. It is unclear how the incident that caused closure of the North Avenue businesses will affect the owner's plans.

--Bernice 

Contractors Complain About Bidding Process

Two minority contractors complained they were left out of competition for a demolition cleanup on North Avenue, even though neither bid on the job.

The demolition was underway on March 21 when part of the building at 117-125 North Avenue fell onto an adjacent restaurant, crushing the roof and facade. Work was halted and now must be completed before the site can be cleared.

Contractors Rufus Thomas and Oliver Brown spoke Tuesday before the City Council voted approval of Yanuzzi Group of Kinnelon to complete the demolition at 117-125 North Avenue and remove the debris.
Brown said contracts were going out to "people who don't live in Plainfield" and asked why there was no set-aside for minorities, "especially black folk." He said he can't get a loan, but  "churches line up to put their money in a white bank."

When Council President Bridget Rivers asked whether he had bid on the contract, Brown said, "I didn't know anything about it."

Thomas said, "There are only two of us here," referring to his company, Rufus Demolition, and Brown's firm, Oveter's Construction. He spoke at length about the evolution of his company and said, "My trucks are in the parade every year," referring to the city's July 4th celebration.

Brown said he had suffered "nine bad years back to back," although in 2010 his firm was hired to carry out an emergency demolition on North Avenue, with costs that started at $21,000 but escalated to $200,000.

Brown recalled better times when "Mayor (Rick) Taylor gave us a lot of work."

Councilwoman Gloria Taylor, the late mayor's widow, weighed in with a call for "black empowerment," saying she was concerned that black contractors were not included in the current demolition process.

 Actually, a black-owned firm had the March 21 demolition contract but subcontracted with a Newark firm to do the work.

Taylor also called for a set-aside.

In other comments, retired firefighter Sheldon Green said he has been working with the owner of the building that was damaged by falling debris, but he has not been able to find out the proposed scope of work. He called the winning bid "kind of low" and alleged local contractors could not compete because people "bid low" and then the cost goes "up and up" through change orders..

The bid notice was published in local newspapers and also posted on the city web site. Specifications were prepared by the engineering firm Remington & Vernick and the bid opening was held on May 27. The bids ranged from a high of $263,100 to Yanuzzi's low bid of $75,800.

An attempt to table the resolution came into question after Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill explained aspects of the state bidding law. Taylor asked what would happen if the council voted "no," and Rivers asked whether the city could go back out for bids. As Sias-Hill continued to explain, Councilman Cory Storch asked, "Are you saying we're exposing ourselves to a lawsuit?"

Storch told Taylor, "I support your goals, but the timing isn't good on this particular project."

Councilwoman Diane Toliver said going forward the city should make sure citizens know (about bids), but she said the the demolition site needs to be cleared.

"We can't delay this," she said.

After a metal fence blocking off the site was removed, the city put up a makeshift arrangement of sawhorses and orange snow fencing to secure it. But as Toliver noted, debris was being scattered around.

The council finally voted unanimously to approve the demolition completion and debris removal resolution.

Numerous documents related to the demolition issue are posted on the city web site

--Bernice

Why the Delay on Demolition?

In March 2010, a building on North Avenue was demolished within a day of an emergency being declared due to bricks falling from its facade. Now 10 days have elapsed since a devastating fire left another North Avenue building in danger of collapse, but demolition has yet to take place.

Meanwhile, the site has been under 24-hour police guard and merchants on the block have had their businesses shuttered. No official word has been given on the status of the demolition, although contractors met with city officials on the Monday after the fire.

On the map above, lot 2 on block 315 is seen extending from North Avenue to East Second Street. At some point, the building in question was separated off as lot 2.01. The owner is listed as Dexter Humphrey, with the same address as the building, 117-125 North Avenue. However, except for a bakery, the building was vacant and boarded up. According to people on the block, it was in decline for some time.

The property was purchased in March 1997 for $190,000 and is assessed at $152,400. It is likely that the cost of demolition and the 24-hour guard will add up to more than  the property is worth. If the cost is applied as a lien on the property, recouping it is unlikely.

In March 2010, dealing with the emergency demolition fell to new Public Works Director David Brown II. Brown left the administrration in November 2010. The city now has another new director, Eric Jackson, as well as a new city administrator, Eric Berry. These two have arrived just as the city is embroiled in a controversy over another "emergency," the allocation of city funds for a radio broadcast on gang violence. An investigation has resulted in findings that the mayor and certain city staff  may have acted improperly in that situation. Perhaps this is all leading to an excess of caution in the current North Avenue matter.

Without any official communication, the public can only speculate on reasons for the delay. Meanwhile, the street closing and inability of businesses to operate are taking a toll of unknown scope. We hope for the sake of the merchants that whatever has to be done to normalize the situation will take place soon.

--Bernice

Historic Districts Need Advocates

A longtime business owner on North Avenue confirmed what I suspected about the historic district where yet another key building is facing demolition: The assocation that formerly looked after the district's interests disbanded some time ago.

I used to work at a weekly newspaper, Plainfield Today, that had offices on North Avenue in the 1980s. The Hetfield family had offices in an imposing building at the corner of Park Avenue and the late Bill Hetfield was a frequent visitor to our newspaper office, sharing his views on local politicians and admonishing us to "keep their feet to the fire." Hetfield and my bosses, Jan and Henry Johnson, were the mainstays of the historic district association and kept a close eye on property maintenance and other quality of life issues in the district.

With changes over time, the association folded and the current population may not even be aware of the district's significance. For a while, Jayson Williams and a partner had an office in the district and Williams even floated a redevelopment plan, but it faded away.

Developer Frank Cretella was supposed to acquire, stabilize and preserve North Avenue historic buildings as part of another redevelopment plan in 2006 but that didn't work out either and Cretella refocused on the PNC Bank block and other locations.

Each of the city's historic districts is supposed to have a district association, but only a few have strong groups and most have none. Correction: Scott Bauman of the Plainfield Planning Division has provided Plaintalker with a list of contacts for all but one of the 10 historic districts. The active groups monitor their districts, seek enhancements, educate the public about their particular attractions and act as goodwill ambassadors by inviting visitors to house tours and special events. Proceeds of house tours are plowed back into improvements to the districts. Distinctive signage and web sites keep up the interest and pride of these districts.

Some districts suffer from a high degree of absentee owners, tenant mobility and lack of knowledge about the city's preservation movement. A couple of them may have been formed with enthusiasm, but relied heavily on the founding members and did not generate successors to carry the torch.

Preservation is often cited as a hallmark of the Queen City, but it needs nurturing and advocacy or you see results like the decay on North Avenue. The Historic Preservation Commission was not intended to do the day-in and day-out care that a well-functioning district association can provide.

Meanwhile, the three-story North Avenue building that was the site of a suspicious fire on Dec. 17 is up for demolition.

The building was not as highly ornamented as some others in the district.

This bit of terra cotta work is about all the decoration there is on the facade.

By contrast, the Chotola building across from the main train station deserves a good long look with binoculars to see all the fancy work. Click on the picture for an enlargement.

The North Avenue building that was demolished in March had a lot of detail, but it and others were painted in bright colors that the Chotola building escaped.

The fate of this district, once so promising, now remains to be seen. With a little help from their friends, other historic districts will survive well into the 21st century

--Bernice

Demolition & Politics - A Volatile Mix

While officials and politicians dicker over the facts behind the demolition fiasco, some of the businesses on the affected block of North Avenue were open Thursday. Cheery neon glowed in the early evening, highlighting a barber shop and a restaurant in the building where another restaurant was crushed by debris Saturday. A new dressmaking business, offering everything from prom gowns to "Arabic dresses," occupies a separate building.

Customers trying to reach North Avenue from Park Avenue will have to work around this road blockage for NJ Transit work on the railroad bridge. I had to go right through the main station parking lot, down the stairs to the rather gross tunnel under the tracks and back up to North Avenue. Plans call for the street to be closed for several weeks and then work will commence on the Watchung Avenue bridge, also necessitating a street closing.

If Bill Reid was still on the City Council, he would likely pronounce the post-demolition chatter a lot of "who shot John."

All the relevant documents are on line and both bloggers and their readers have commented profusely. In a special meeting Monday, Council President Bridget Rivers called for an investigation of the timeline and process that ended with the governing body being asked to authorize a demolition contract and $250,000 tab after the fact.

All this comes as filing day for the June primary is imminent. Questions about the demolition are adding a layer of intrigue to an expected challenge to the party line from Mayor Adrian O. Mapp, former president and still the perceived standard bearer of the New Democrats. This is the year for the Democratic party to reorganize and 68 city committee seats are up for election. Those elected to the committee on June 2 will choose a party chairperson on June 8. Can Mapp pin the tail on the donkey and overcome Chairman Jerry Green's grip on local party control? Will his candidates prevail in the two council races on the ballot?

Former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, cast out by Green in 2013, is now his political sweetheart once again. Apparently still stung by the embarrassing investigation of her 2010 emergency town meeting on gang violence, she also favors an investigation into the Mapp administration's handling of the emergency demolition.

While waiting for the next episode of the demolition drama, we shall at least discover the cast of characters for the primary showdown on Monday. Both sides will undoubtedly challenge each other's nominees, so the list may not be final. But it is always interesting to see who takes what side in Plainfield. The deadline for filing is 4 p.m. in the City Clerk's office. (School board filing is in July.)

--Bernice 

After-the-Fact Demolition Approval Nixed

In Monday's special meeting called by Mayor Adrian O. Mapp, a City Council majority rejected all three resolutions related to demolition of a North Avenue building and vowed to launch an investigation into why it had already taken place on Saturday.

The resolutions were to authorize emergency bids for demolition services. to authorize a temporary appropriation of $250,000 to do the work, and to award an emergency contract to Yates Real Estate.

Council members charged they were not given advance information, and deplored the timing of the demolition as well as its impact on several adjacent businesses, including a restaurant damaged by falling debris. The woman who owned the restaurant for 32 years and a barber who was ordered to close his shop Friday expressed fears for their livelihood and that of their employees. The business owners said they were told the demolition would take place on March 24, but then had to shut down Friday. A translator for restaurant owner Maria Rosa said, " She had everything ready for the weekend and lost all the food she had prepared."

Council President Bridget Rivers' call for an investigation with a council-appointed attorney took on a political tit-for-tat tone when she compared it to a past council investigation into costs of an emergency town hall meeting called in 2010 by former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs. The former mayor beat Mapp to win a second term in 2009, but he bested her in 2013. Since then, she has countered him at numerous public meetings and was on hand Monday. From the sidelines, she corrected Rivers on the amount of the town hall cost..

In public comment before the votes, Dr. Harold Yood raised many questions about the process, including why a real estate firm was to be hired for the demolition and who would be responsible for the damage to the adjacent building. Public Works Director Eric Watson said only two bidders responded and the city took the lowest bid. He said the company had more than $6 million in insurance.

Historic Preservation Commissioner Larry Quirk asked why the real estate firm was hired when the demolition firm could have been hired just as easily.

Real estate company owner John Campbell said, "I'd like to get in on the action if all you require is a real estate license."

Late Monday afternoon before the 6 p.m. meeting, Mapp emailed 17 pages of background information on the demolition to bloggers and others with this statement:

"The emergency demolition of the structure on North Avenue, over the weekend, has raised a number of questions, spawned speculations, and innuendos. Since my administration prides itself on transparency, I am releasing the attached documents prior to tonight's special council meeting. You are free to publish them in any medium of your choosing. I remain committed to leading an administration that will be professional in all of its dealings; an administration that will lay bare all of its financial dealings to the public at large, but more specifically to the people of Plainfield."

But Rivers and other council members claimed they were left in the dark. Councilwoman Vera Greaves called it "outrageous" that the council was not informed and said it seemed the administration was trying to run the city without the governing body.

"I just feel it was a sudden decision that was made," Councilwoman Diane Toliver said.

The ever-suspicious Councilwoman Gloria Taylor said, "I'm not sure who's telling what," and later added, "I smell a rat."

The documents sent by Mapp revealed a timeline that began with a Jan. 6 finding by the city's Division of Inspections that the three-story, fire-damaged building was unsafe and an imminent hazard. It said attempts were made to reach the owner. On Feb. 2, a structural engineer from Remington & Vernick determined that the building was "in imminent danger of collapse." 

Another document said the city had sent owner Dexter Humphrey a notice of imminent hazard in January, with an order to demolish the building by Jan. 13 or face penalties of up to $2,000 per week per violation. Public Works Director Eric Watson said Humphrey first agreed to demolish the building, then changed his mind a week later. The city then solicited bids from six demolition contractors, but only two responded.and the lowest bid, for $214,000, was accepted. B&B Demolition Company, a sub-contractor for Yates Real Estate, Inc. the company up for council approval Monday, demolished the building on Saturday.

The packet included a report on the "accident" in which part of the three-story building fell onto the adjacent restaurant at 131 North Avenue.

The city received clearance on Friday from the DEP's Historic Preservation Office to demolish the three-story 19th Century building with the proviso that care be taken not to damage surrounding buildings, and that the Plainfield Historic Preservation Commission shall have the opportunity to review any new proposed design on the lot.

The $214,500 demolition cost was also supposed to cover back-filling the lot and bringing it to grade, though the bid from Yates Real Estate said any unforeseen remediation could cause additional costs.

A detailed report from Remington & Vernick said in January 2012 an engineer for the property owner found there was no danger of imminent collapse. Using photos, Remington & Vernick claimed to show deterioration over three years since the fire due to wind, rain and snow, and deemed the entire building in need of demolition. (Note: The Remington & Vernick January 2012 photo showing the side wall largely intact must have been just before a Plaintalker post on Jan. 20, 2012 that shows a partial demolition taking place and only the "Bull" portion of the Bull Durham wall sign remaining. This appears to refute the claim that the damage took place over the ensuing three years.)

Rivers wanted the council to vote Monday on hiring outside counsel for an investigation, instead of relying on Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill's word on the matter. But City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh said only items on the special meeting notice could be acted upon. The council's next agenda-fixing session is 7:30 p.m. April 6 and the regular meeting is 8 p.m. April 13, both in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice

One Year Since North Avenue Demolition

Before the demolition.

It was one year ago that a wrecking crew took down a building that had stood on North Avenue since 1886.

I watched in troubled fascination as heavy machinery bashed it to bits in one day after bricks began falling from a parapet. Some wanted to find a way to preserve the facade, as the building was integral to the streetscape across from the main train station and was part of the North Avenue Commercial Historic District.

It was not to be.

Clearing the site took another two months at a cost of about $200,000. Plaintalker pointed out vaults under the sidewalk that were not sealed off, and on this anniversary once again let us raise a concern about how the fill is settling into the vaults. Large holes have developed along the chain link fence that separates the lot from the sidewalk.

The same thing happened when another building was taken down many years ago at North Avenue and Gavett Place and there is still settling going on at that site. However, the 2010 demolition was done under the scrutiny of city engineers who surely must have realized the need to wall off the vaults before filling the excavated basement. Let's hope somebody is monitoring this site, as it could present a liability in its present condition. Click here for an October 2010 post on the subject.

--Bernice

Demolition Site is Settling

After the demolition of a 124-year-old building on North Avenue, the site was filled in. These vaults under the sidewalk could clearly be seen. In a previous North Avenue demolition, similar vaults were supposed to be closed off before fill was placed on the site. That site, at Gavett Place, and North Avenue, has been showing signs of settling at the edge of the sidewalk for some time.

Given the presence of Remington & Vernick engineers at the March 2010 demolition site, I thought maybe these vaults would be walled off before fill was dumped on the lot.

Apparently not, because some big gaps have opened up at the sidewalk line.

The one-day demolition and months-long cleanup were done at a cost of almost $200,000, which was charged against the SFY 2011 budget as an emergency appropriation. No plans have been mentioned for the empty lot, but a look at the sinking fill indicates that the lot would have to be stabilized somehow before anything, even a pocket park, could be placed on it. Even with a fence in place, the holes at the sidewalk's edge appear to present a hazard.

--Bernice

Damaged North Avenue Restaurant Relocating

The restaurant that had to close due to damage from the North Avenue demolition is relocating to 185 North Avenue, according to a sign there.

Mi Buenaventura was in business for three decades before its former location was crushed by falling debris on March 21.

By coincidence, that building location - 127-135 North Avenue - is on Thursday's Planning Board agenda. The owner wants to convert a vacant building at 122-128 East Second Street to 4,414 square feet of commercial space on the first floor, and 5 residential apartments on the second floor. He is seeking approval to use the lot behind the North Avenue building for five parking spaces. The application predated the events of March 21.

--Bernice

Demolition Investigation Counsel Sought

 The City Council vowed in April to launch its own investigation into circumstances surrounding the March 21 demolition of a North Avenue building. 

But perhaps they skipped a step. Today's Courier News includes this legal notice:

PLAINFIELD REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR AN INDEPENDENT COUNSEL TO CONDUCT AN INITIAL INQUIRY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL RELATED TO THE NORTH AVENUE EMERGENCY DEMOLITION PROJECT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 AT 11 A.M. ORGANIZATION REQUESTING PROPOSAL: MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD, 515 WATCHUNG AVENUE, PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY 07060 The Municipal Council of the City of Plainfield is requesting proposals from attorneys and/or law firms to serve as Independent Counsel to the Municipal Council to conduct an initial inquiry on behalf of the Plainfield City Council in regards to the investigation of certain affairs of the City regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding the procurement associated with the North Avenue Emergency Demolition project and other procurement matters. In accordance with the 2.8 of the Plainfield Charter the Municipal Council may make investigations into the affairs of the city and the conduct of any city department, office, commission or agency and for this purpose may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require the production of evidence. The Independent Counsel shall report directly to the Municipal Council. The Independent Counsel, on behalf of the City Council, shall be responsible for gathering all appropriate and relevant information and render a report to the City Council setting forth conclusions and recommendations, if any, for further action as may be deemed appropriate, together with any recommendations for corrective action. CONTACT PERSON TO OBTAIN COPIES OF RFP: CINDYLEA WEBER, PURCHASING AGENT PURCHASING DIVISION, CITY OF PLAINFIELD 515 WATCHUNG AVENUE, PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY 07060 COUNTY OF UNION Cindylea.weber@plainfieldnj.gov, (908) 226-2568 ($33.00) 

Fire Aftermath Drags On

"Buenaventura," my Spanish-English dictionary says, means "fortune" or "good luck."

But the owner of this North Avenue restaurant has been out of luck since a suspicious fire on Dec. 17 closed the business and several others. Customers looking for food or a haircut on the block instead found barricades and a 24-hour police watch.

A gathering of officials and contractors on Dec. 19 pointed to possible early demolition of the building. In March 2010 another North Avenue building, deemed in danger of collapse, was taken down in one day after the declaration. Officials made similar estimations of the building that was gutted in the Dec. 17 fire, causing the police watch with the Mobile Command Center and a battery of high-intensity lights at night.

Businesses across the street were slowed down by the street closing, but not shut. As the days wore on without action, barbers posted their phone numbers in the window of a popular hair salon in an effort to keep contact with customers. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Now three weeks have passed. A chain-link barrier surrounds the front of the building, where broken glass and debris are still strewn. The Mobile Command Center is gone. The power cord for the massive emergency lights is unplugged. But the block between Park Avenue and Gavett Place is still blocked off and businesses next to the fire scene are still closed.

Plaintalker learned on Friday that city officials are taking the position that the owner, Dexter Humphrey, is responsible for the demolition. Humphrey's address in the tax book is the same as the fire-damaged building, which except for one restaurant on the ground floor was vacant and boarded up by the city for  many months. Just days before the fire, Plaintalker was tracing the route that occupants of new Park Avenue apartments would walk to the train station and recorded this evidence of someone breaking in to the building.

 The entire North Avenue Historic District between Park and Watchung avenues - the city's original commercial base across from the train station - was supposed to be consolidated for redevelopment in 2006 by acquisition and stabilization of its historic buildings. But then the focus shifted to the PNC Bank block. Some owners on North Avenue said they recently received offers again to sell their properties, but they declined. Now they wonder what's next.

Meanwhile, the tally for loss of business and cost of the 24-hour police guard is not known. There has been no public explanation of why things are still dragging on in the current  situation three weeks after the fire or what the arson investigation revealed. Could this literally be a trial by fire for new City Administrator Eric Berry? A lot of people are hoping for answers soon.

--Bernice

North Avenue District Needs a Well Check

A large number of contractors met with city officials on North Avenue Monday to examine the fire-damaged building that is now in need of demolition. The City Council will have to authorize an emergency appropriation to fund the demolition. Engineer Wendell Bibbs of Remington & Vernick can be seen here addressing the group.

On Tuesday, workers began removing utility connections in preparation for the demolition.

North Avenue between Park and Watchung avenues is still closed to traffic.

 This is not the newly damaged building, it is the old Mirons furniture warehouse on the same block that is in the process of being converted to residential units with a restaurant on the ground floor. This view is from the alley alongside the west wall of the building.

These buildings are part of the North Avenue Historic District, as was one that was demolished in March due to falling bricks that indicated imminent collapse. In all truth, the Mirons warehouse has missing bricks and looks none too sturdy close up. Bricks are missing at its skyline and the same is true of other buildings in the district.

It has been a long time now since the designation of this district by the main train station. In 2012, plans are expected to advance for transit-oriented development. Plaintalker suggests a realistic assessment of all the buildings in the district, both contributing and non-contributing, and a report on their status.

 The back alley of the block where the fire broke out reveals this small building's wide-open rear facade, with gaping cellar doors and another open door behind the Dumpster. Squatters or metal scavengers have full access to the interior and may have already stripped it.

The fire that broke out early Saturday is deemed suspicious and is under investigation by the Union County Arson Squad, Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig told the City Council Monday. One look at this block's rotten core will confirm that lots of suspicious behavior has taken place back there. Why not evaluate the district as a whole for viability and take some proactive steps toward stabilization before the next "emergency" forces a costly response?

--Bernice

Demolition Underway on North Avenue

An historic building on North Avenue is being demolished today, more than three years after it was damaged in a fire that resulted in the block being closed for weeks. A special City Council meeting on Monday to authorize an emergency demolition was announced Friday.

A restaurant owner on the block said debris fell on another restaurant, at the right of the damaged building. The buckled front window can be seen above. The demolition may have to extend to the entire row of businesses in the one-story building, a fire official said. (Click to enlarge images.)

A worker uses a blowtorch to take apart a steel girder. The portion of North Avenue between Gavett Place and Park Avenue is closed to traffic due to the demolition.

Plaintalker will be posting more images later. Read more about the building's history here.

--Bernice 

Questions Remain on Council's Demolition Investigation

At the last City Council meeting, the governing body passed a resolution approving Yanuzzi Group of Kinnelon as the contractor to complete the demolition at 117-125 North Avenue and to clean up the site, despite objections from two minority contractors who say they were left out of the hiring process.

Council members expressed sympathy with the contractors' concerns, but faced with a mess at the site since the failed demolition on March 21, the larger concern was getting the work done and securing the site.

"We can't delay this," Councilwoman Diane Toliver said before the unanimous vote to approve the contract.

Yanuzzi was the winning bidder among three, and the minority contractors said they had not submitted bids, a curious thing in a city where minority enterprise has been supported for three decades with education on how to compete. The bid opening, according to a notice on the city web site, was on May 27 and the resolution passed on June 16.

There was another bid opening on May 29, for independent counsel to investigate how the original demolition contract came about and "other procurement matters." The latter may refer to another controversy, how two $26,000 Explorers were purchased for use of the mayor and city administrator. No action was taken on June 16 on the bid for independent counsel, and in the hullabaloo of that meeting, it didn't even come up. The next regular council meeting is on July 20, so maybe if bids were received, an award will take place then. Or maybe the notion of an investigation was just some pre-primary sabre-rattling by the friends of Column A, who knows?

Looking back at blog posts on the demolition, there certainly are some oddities. A special meeting to approve the demolition contract was preceded by the demolition itself. The black-owned realty firm that won the bid subcontracted to an outside firm. A restaurant next door was crushed by debris from the demolition. The method of the demolition remains in question. Liabilities are being sorted out.

Mayor Adrian O. Mapp posted a mass of information regarding the demolition on the city web site and blog commenters, some with professional expertise, have added their analysis of the situation.

The council previously approved a law firm on April 13 to undertake an investigation, so the May bid opening appears to be a correction of sorts. If bids were received, the next step would be an award at the July 20 meeting or at a special meeting if necessary. Meanwhile, there is the hope that at long last the site will be cleared and secured. The uncertainty has already spilled over onto plans to hold the annual arts festival on North Avenue - but that's another story.

--Bernice

Update on North Avenue Demolition Site

So this must be the "mafia wall" that we heard about. (Please, no jokes about it being crooked.)

It is made of very heavy blocks and the purpose is to hold fill at the North Avenue demolition site. The building that was demolished had a shared "party wall" with the building next door, so filling the excavated hole might place pressure on that wall (or so I understand it). The mafia wall will now take on the weight of the fill, sparing the wall from possible collapse.

The demolition took place on March 21 and caused damage to the building next door.

This story began in December 2011 with a fire in the vacant three-story building. There was talk of demolition at the time, but nothing happened.

Three years later, Plaintalker called attention to the damaged structure and asked what it would take to resolve the situation.

On March 21, the ill-fated effort to tear down the building created even more problems which are still being worked out.

--Bernice

Times Are Changing on North Avenue

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

More on Demolition

North Avenue between Park Avenue and Gavett Place was blocked off Sunday with a police guard monitoring the site of Saturday's fire that destroyed this building. It is now slated for demolition, possibly as soon as early this coming week.

I tried to get a look at the rear of the building, but the alley to the interior of the block is closed off with police tape.

The building appears to be attached to one that fronts on East Second Street in this screen shot from Google   maps.

Here is a rear view that shows the proximity of the other building.

A view down the alley Saturday shows that the former book store further down the block is open at the rear. These back alleys tell a tale that cannot be read from the facades out front. I first became aware of the sordid interiors of some downtown blocks when I was a reporter and went down an alley off Watchung Avenue to see the rear of a building where a young man had either jumped or fallen to his death. Behind the fancy buildings across from the main train station, trash was piled up and the true disrepair of the buildings was evident.

(That fatality several years ago resulted in an elaborate memorial shrine being set up in front of the building that was torn down in March. People gathered every night for weeks, setting up candles, beer and liquor bottles and personal mementoes along with gang insignia.Some may remember how it spread from the front of the building to half the block.)

Here's a shot from the back of the building that was demolished in March.

That building had underground vaults under the sidewalk on North Avenue. It's likely that there are the same kind of vaults in front of the building that burned on Saturday. If so, it will be interesting to see whether the vaults are sealed off before the lot is filled in. That did not happen in the March demolition and there is serious settling of the fill, with large holes at the sidewalk's edge.

The City Council will have to authorize an emergency appropriation for the cost of the demolition of the fire-damaged building. It will probably be charged against the new 2012 budget. The March demolition cost about $200,000.

--Bernice