(erielack) NJ - Montclair Train station will be historically re-built

["Gary R. Kazin" <gkazin_@_yahoo.com>]

http://www.montclairtimes.com/page.php?page=13963

Train station will be ‘historically’ re-built
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
By ERICA ZARRA
of The Montclair Times

Plans are rolling forward for the fire-ravaged historic Upper
Montclair Train Station.  Staff photo by Adam Anik.
http://www.montclairtimes.com/resize_image_string.php?story=13963&maxw=330&maxh=400

The rustic interior, mock Tutor-style beams and grooved red tiles
that lined the roof had been replaced by charred beams and gutted
framework hidden beneath a deteriorating plywood shroud.

But this will not be the scene for much longer.

Nearly one year after a two-alarm fire blazed through the historic
Upper Montclair Train Station, its future has been unveiled.

NJ Transit and the Montclair municipal government announced this week
that they are advancing plans to rebuild the structure with a design
inspired by its former historic style, according to a release issued
to The Times.

A quasi-public agency, NJ Transit leases the station to Montclair,
which then subleases it out, most recently to the Round Trip Fare
Restaurant, which occupied the facility when the fire occurred.

NJ Transit and Montclair “will issue a Request For Proposal [RFP]
next week seeking a qualified developer/tenant to enter into a
long-term lease” to construct a new train station “that includes a
passenger waiting area and commercial space with a focus on a new
restaurant,” the release stated.

The Montclair Historic Preservation Commission and the municipal
Station Reconstruction Task Force created the design guidelines in
the RFP to ensure the structure retains its once-ornate style.

“We’ve been saying ever since the unfortunate fire that we were
looking to rebuild a facility that fits in the historic nature of the
community and works as a functioning facility,” NJ Transit
spokesperson Penny Bassett Hackett told The Times.

The train station, constructed in 1892, was placed on the New Jersey
Register of Historic Places in March 1984.  Three months later, the
station was included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Once a tenant is chosen, NJ Transit and Montclair “will work with the
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Historic Sites Council
(HSC) on the design of the new structure.  The HSC will review and
prepare a resolution recommending authorization of the proposal
construction with conditions that will be incorporated into the final
design of the station,” according to the release.

“Even though it’s been many months, that time has not been wasted. 
It has been used productively to get the station on track,” Township
Manager Joseph Hartnett said.  “The end result will be a facility
that is respectful of the history of the site and is better for
everybody.  We are very happy about that.”

Hartnett indicated that well-known restaurateurs, some of whom have
been featured in Gourmet magazine and who own restaurants in Beverly
Hills, have expressed interest in the site.

“If the station is built historically sensitive, better for commuters
and an amenity for the Upper Montclair Busi-ness District, then it’s
a win, win, win situation for everybody,” Hartnett said.

Although plans have been announced, the insurance payment for the
fire-damaged station remains undetermined.

However, the release states that NJ Transit and Montclair “have
established a framework of a resolution on the insurance matter that
will be agreed upon and formalized within the next 30 days.”

The train station damage claim has become a point of contention for
some citizens concerned with the lack of financial information that
has been released concerning the station.

The insurance was originally to be announced in September 2006. At
the time,  Hartnett indicated that a NJ Transit official had
questioned aspects of the proposed settlement.  As a result, he and
the township attorney initiated new research into the matter.

For now, NJ Transit and Montclair officials are focusing on
construction.  They expect to receive proposals in April and once
that is complete, they will select a developer.

“This is the best way and it does not require taxpayer funds,” said
Deputy Mayor Gerald Tobin, who led the Station Reconstruction Task
Force.  “We are trying to move this along as fast as we can.  No one
wants to get the shovel in the ground faster than me.”

Those interested in submitting a proposal can contact NJ Transit
Project Manager Michael P. Murphy, 973-491-8472.

Contact Erica Zarra at zarra_@_montclairtimes.com

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for earth-friendly autos? 
Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/

	The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
	Sponsored by the ELH&TS
	http://www.elhts.org
	To Unsubscribe: http://lists.elhts.org/erielackunsub.html

------------------------------