(rshsdepot) Upper Montclair, NJ

[jdent1_@_optonline.net]

From the NJ Transit list...

1. Item: Upper Montclair train Station to be restored
    Date: Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:13 am ((PST))

MONCLAIR, N.J. — 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grooved red tiles that lined the roof had been replaced by charred 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 undeter-mined.

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 Sta-tion 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.


Jim Dent
Oakland, NJ
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