Tag Archives: Arts District

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Rahway among DEP-selected brownfield sites

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Rahway was among six sites chosen as Brownfield Development Areas last week by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The designation allows towns to identify clusters of brownfield sites, which have been abandoned or underutilized because of known or suspected contamination, for coordinated remediation and redevelopment. More importantly, cities are eligible for up to $5 million in grants annually for investigation and remediation along with the assistance of a case manager to oversee the process.

There were eight sites eligible in Rahway:
– The former Hamilton Laundry site where a 1,100-seat amphitheater is planned
– Myron Ross Park on Essex Street
– Park Square
– The proposed Station Place project on the site of A&M Supply on Campbell Street
– The former Wheatena factory on Elizabeth and West Grand avenues
– City Hall Plaza (due to the Police Department’s gas pumps)
– The Savoy
– The Westbury

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Uncategorized

Asbestos removal could near $100K on Hamilton home

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Asbestos remediation for a home that will be demolished to make way for the amphitheater on Hamilton Street could cost almost $100,000.

City Engineer James Housten briefed Redevelopment Agency commissioners during a meeting earlier this month. He said a survey estimated the cost to deal with asbestos at 312 Hamilton St. to be $43,000, with administrative costs possibly bringing the total to $93,000. Asbestos must be removed from the roof, floors and tiles before demolition can occur, he said. The Redevelopment Agency acquired the two-story, multi-family home last year for $340,000 to include the space for the Hamilton project.

Housten also described the design for the amphitheater project site. The amphitheater itself will be on the front, left portion of the Hamilton property, with parking in the rear center and rear right, and continuing to a lot behind where the house is located, and up and around the Bell Building.

The site still lies within a flood plain so the stage must be built to withstand stormwater, though it can be approved because there no homes or businesses are planned. Still, he added, it’s a serious waiver that is not easily obtained from Department of Environmental Protection. Housten said the hope is to gain approval by December.

The amphitheater project is expected to go to bid and break ground by next year. The second phase, once the amphitheater is constructed, will include design and development of the Bell Building for a black box and dance theater.

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City Council

Council hires arts consultant

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City Council approved a one-year, $18,600 contract for a consultant to serve as a liaison with the Arts District Advisory Board. The contract was approved during a special meeting June 30.

Elizabeth-based Coen Consulting Group, headed up by former county director of heritage affairs Susan Coen, will serve as a liaison between the Rahway Arts District Board and City Council, helping to raise money, secure grants and coordinate activities between local arts organizations, according to City Administrator Peter Pelissier.

The Arts District Advisory Board has been considering designs for the Hamilton Street amphitheater project, which is expected to begin construction late this year.

Also at the June 30 meeting, City Council approved increases of 5 percent and 8 percent in water and sewer rates, respectively.

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Arts District, Commercial, Downtown, restaurants

Dessert cafe coming to corner space

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Kim’s In The Mix, a dessert cafe, soon will occupy the corner of West Main and Irving streets.

Rafael Ortiz, who owns the property at 209-219 W. Main St. along with several other downtown sites, said some interior work still remains to be done. He estimated the shop could be in operation within a month.

The cafe signed a two-year lease with an option for three years on the 1,200-square-foot space at $1,500 a month, according to Ortiz. It will replace a camera and phone store that left in December.

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Uncategorized

Of artists and jetpacks

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A couple of non-redevelopment news items over the last few days:

* A Star-Ledger “I Am New Jersey” profile of local artist Marcel Truppa on Friday. It must have been about a year ago when I made my first visit during one of the First Thursdays events and it was evident, as one person put it in the Ledger profile, “he’s absolutely a local treasure.” If you’ve never been to his downtown studio on Irving Street, it’s worth the trip, whether it’s stories about his art or living in Rahway.

* A Wall Street Journal piece about jetpacks on Monday that included a Rahway environmental engineer who’s been building one in his basement for the last decade or so.

***

I got a suggestion for a new poll question: “If you were desperate for a cheeseburger, where in Rahway would you go?” It follows our culinary theme among poll questions which seem to be the most popular. We have some ideas but to try to avoid leaving out any potential vote-getters (as we did with the pizza poll), we’ll accept some “nominees” this week to be included in the poll; email suggestions or use the comments section below.

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City Council

Asbestos, tank removal for Bell Building

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Contracts totaling nearly $75,000 for asbestos abatement and storage tank removal at the Bell Building, along with a change-order for the removal of a storage tank at the former Hamilton Laundry site were approved by City Council earlier this month. Contracts went to AWT Environmental Services, DIA General Construction of Clifton, and Warren-based Whitestone Associates.

A banner at the Hamilton Laundry site proclaims a spring 2010 timeline for a 1,000-seat amphitheater. A black box theater and performing arts space is planned for the Bell Building while the neighboring Shami Apartment are eyed for senior/artists’ housing.

The house adjacent to the Hamilton Laundry site was acquired by the Redevelopment Agency and scheduled to close in December, but Agency attorney Frank Regan reported that the owner has been unable to vacate tenants, which was one of the conditions of closing, and may need to proceed with eviction, but not until the end of this month.

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Uncategorized

NEA study: audience declines, revenues fluctuate

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The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) issued a report this week (.pdf) that indicates the number of nonprofit theaters doubled between 1990 and 2005.

The growth was mainly in “previously underserved” areas like Nevada, Colorado and Utah. But the takeaway, at least one that might be more relevant to Rahway and the Union County Arts Center, is “…the absolute size of the audience has declined by 16 percent.” During that same time period, “revenues fluctuated sharply with business cycles in the U.S. economy.” Here’s the Star-Ledger’s take on it.

In this economy, the arts will be in for a tough time, if they’re not already. Not good news for UCPAC (or any local theaters for that matter), which has consistently run deficits of five and six figures in four of the past five years, according to its federal tax filings. The only time recently that it broke even was 2006 when it got a $1.3-million infusion thanks to selling the building as part of Union County’s $6-million renovations.

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Arts District, Downtown, Rahway, Redevelopment Agency

Agency buys Hamilton Street home for $340K

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The Redevelopment Agency last week authorized the purchase of a Hamilton Street home for $340,000 as part of an overall plan for an amphitheater at the former Hamilton Laundry site.

The agency previously made an offer of $310,000, which was rejected by the current owner, Colonia-based Grove Investments, LLC. The property is assessed at $146,700, according to PropertyShark.com, and paid about $6,400 in property taxes last year. PropertyShark lists the most recent sale date as February 1998, but no sales data was available on the 0.0859-acre site.

The multi-family home at 312-314 Hamilton St. (Block 167, Lot 44), adjacent to the former Hamilton Laundry, eventually will make way for a concession stand and restrooms, as part of the plans for an amphitheater along the river.

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