The city will sell an East Cherry property to the Parking Authority as part of plans related to two downtown developments, as well as the extension of Monroe Street.

City Council introduced an ordinance (O-28-15) at its meeting Monday night to sell Block 318, Lot 18 (52. E. Cherry St.) for a “nominal consideration” (i.e., $1 or something for the record) as  the property will be “useful and convenient for the purposes of the authority,” according to the ordinance. A public hearing and final adoption is scheduled at the City Council’s Oct. 13 meeting.

The property is a single-story building currently home to the Police Assistance Center, which houses the Juvenile Bureau and other activities. The city spent about $165,000 in 2011 to renovate it after acquiring the former Beverage Shop building for $80,000 from the Rahway Center Partnership in 2010.

The Parking Authority will negotiate the exchange of portions of the right-of-way and property to developers for infrastructure improvements related to nearby projects that will reconfigure the area, according to City Administrator Cherron Rountree. Whether the Juvenile Bureau returns to the Police Department or elsewhere is yet to be determined.

A five-story, 44-unit development has been proposed along East Cherry Street that will raze several two-story buildings from 32 to 52 E. Cherry St. A key part of Main & Monroe, a five-story 208-unit planned along Main Street, will be the extension of Monroe Street from Main Street through to East Cherry Street. Both projects will involve some reconfiguring of Lot B; the latter already gained Planning Board approval while the former still must come before the board.

[twentytwenty][/twentytwenty]