Re: (rshsdepot) Bay Street, Montclair, NJ

["Don Dorflinger" <donnielee46_@_hotmail.com>]

Sorry, Dan. I consider what's been done to the old trainsheds at Montclair a nightmare. The area is now a Shop Rite and mall, and looks like a sideshow. 
This was a historically significant facility, and I believe is on the National Register. The station itself was designed by Thomas Botsford, Chief Architect for the DL&W RR. Botsford, unfortunately, did not live to see his creation completed, as he perished on the Titanic in April, 1912. The trainsheds were of the Bush style, designed by Engineer Lincoln Bush, and of the same type as installed at the DL&W Hoboken Terminal, and the Jersey Central RR Terminal at today's Liberty Park.
Montclair's answer to the degradation of this site is the trade-off at Bay St. I'm not going to knock the architecture, as I have not seen the finished product. I have, however, seen it many times while under construction, and it kind of reminds me of the old DL&W station at Lake Hopatcong...not the building itself, but rather the elevator towers and walkway. I guess that's not enough...now the local artisans will be allowed to run wild. And after all this time any money is spent, the area will be left to the vandals.
The "plastic circular shelter" which you describe, and as it evolved, was never intended to be a permanent station at the site. It was constructed cheaply, as the plan from the start when Lackawanna Plaza was abandoned, was to institute Phase I of the "Montclair Connection," ie, a realignment of the trackage for eventual connection to the Greenwood Lake Line, and electrification to Mountain View (of course, this has been shortened to Great Notch), and the construction of a more permanent facility. 
As a reporter, I covered the entire process from the abandonment of Lackawanna Plaza to the construction and introduction of service to Bay St. in 1981. I rode in the cab of  the last train in and out of the Plaza, and was there to cover the first one into Bay St. Unfortunately, it has taken 21 years from the time the "original Bay St." was opened until now for the "Connection" Plan to come to fruition (nearly 80 years, if you consider when it was originally proposed in the 1920's). During that time, the local opposition to the plan has been loud and vociferous, as a number of families were displaced from low income housing...minority families that saw this as racial injustice, and as a contrived plan to eliminate African-American housing. While I don't share that belief, I will tell you that officals in Montclair were not sad to see some of this housing go. The "trade off." as I call it: we'll build a beautiful facility that will be artsy and first rate, and everybody will come from miles around just to look at it, and we'll all be proud of it, and that will make up for all the grief. Who really cares? The commuters will continue to wait in their cars in the morning (just like they do at all other stations on the line), and will bolt to their cars when they detrain in the afternoon. If the area is not secured at night, it will be victimized by the vandals and graffiti artists. 
Don Dorflinger, Blairstown, NJ

>From: CoolGuy127_@_aol.com 
>Reply-To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net 
>To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net 
>Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Bay Street, Montclair, NJ 
>Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 08:15:05 EST 
> 
>In a message dated 2/15/02 6:44:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
>donnielee46_@_hotmail.com writes: 
> 
> > If you think that Montclair has any concept of art or history, take a ride 
> > down and see what's become of the old DL&W terminal at Lackawanna Plaza. 
> > It's enough to make you puke. 
> 
> I'm not entirely sure what you are referring to. The old DL&W 
>Terminal at Lackawanna Plaza is still there, and has been converted to a 
>Blockbuster Video, or some similar establishment. It is sad that it is no 
>longer a railroad station, but at least the building still stands and has 
>been converted to a productive use. Moreover, since it is a store that is 
>open to the public, you can go inside and check out the interior of the 
>building, much of which retains its historical ambiance. So while I'd rather 
>see the building used as a railroad station, I'd much rather have it 
>converted to a store than see it torn down or being used for a purpose that 
>destroys its historical ambiance. 
> 
> I haven't been to the Bay Street Station in Montclair in a while, but 
>I did take a ride on the line a few years ago. The old Bay Street Station 
>was a disgrace. It consisted of a small circular opaque plastic shelter -- 
>one of the least attractive facilities that I've ever seen. I'm glad to see 
>that the new station will be more attractive. 
> 
> Daniel Chazin 
> Teaneck, NJ 
> 
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