Tag Archives: Hamilton Street

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Agency makes offer for adjacent site

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The Redevelopment Agency is looking to acquire another property adjacent to the former Hamilton Laundry site (in the background of photo at left; a closer look here).

Redevelopment Counsel Frank Regan said at last week’s meeting that the agency made a “good-faith offer” to the owner of the multi-family property immediately to the west of the site. Though the property owner rejected the $310,000, which was based on an appraisal, there is a willingness to sell and a counter offer was made, Regan said. Funds for the acquisition were allocated as part of financing approved in a bond ordinance last month, he added.

Redevelopment Director and City Administrator Peter Pelissier said the mayor and Arts District Advisory Board are still deliberating over the design of the amphitheater itself. The agency acquired the Hamilton Laundry site in 2004 for about $2 million, according to propertyshark.com, and has plans to create a park and amphitheater after an effort to build a comedy club was scratched as a result of flooding on the site. A black box theater and performing arts space instead are planned up the street at the former Bell building.

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The Supagown will need a new home

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Well, I guess that was the last photo I’ll ever have to take of the Hamilton Laundry building. The main structure on Hamilton Street — the one that had “Hamilton Laundry” emblazoned on it, as well as the peculiar “Home of the Supagown” — was razed this morning, completing the demolition that started last week.

All that’s left are piles of rubble to haul away. Now if we could just figure out what the “Supagown” is/was…

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Democrats might be in Denver, but the Libertarians — check that, the Libertarian is in Rahway tonight, at Luciano’s. Happy Labor Day weekend!

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Arts District, Downtown, Rahway

More Hamilton Laundry photos

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Another of the Hamilton Laundry buildings went down late last week.

The demolition of the two-story building exposed the lower part the adjoining four-story building, showing what appears to be a sign about fur storage. We can add that to last month’s list of old downtown signs. Get your “Home of the Supagown” photos while you still can.

It was six years ago this month that then-Sen. Jon Corzine made the Hamilton Laundry one of his stops on a tour of Rahway. That’s when plans still called for an arts center and independent film theater. Due to flooding at the site last spring, the Hamilton Laundry site instead will be turned into a park and outdoor amphitheater by next fall.

Other interesting items that a simple Internet search yields about Hamilton Laundry includes these alleged OSHA violations from eight years ago.

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Arts District

It’s really coming down

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The demolition of Hamilton Laundry finally began with the property now surrounded by construction fencing and the first structure (behind the main building, which is to the left in the photo above) razed this week. Demolition is expected to last several weeks.

When we last left the Hamilton Laundry saga, the City Council awarded a new contract of $370,000 about a month ago to Meco Demolition. For previous posts about Hamilton Laundry, click here.

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Appraisal for Shami Apartments

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The Redevelopment Agency this month authorized an appraisal for the Shami Apartments on Hamilton Street.

The last appraisal, which pegged the property at about $2 million, was done several years ago and had to be updated, according to City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier. The building is part of the plan to create about 80 units of affordable housing for seniors and artists while the adjacent Bell Building will become a black box theater and performing arts space.

Demolition of the nearby Hamilton Laundry building, where a park and amphitheater are planned, is expected in the coming weeks. Of the five houses near the Hamilton Laundry, only one directly next door is proposed to be acquired, according to Redevelopment Agency Attorney Frank Regan.

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New demolition contract for Hamilton

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A new contract — $90,000 more than the original bid — was awarded for demolition of the Hamilton Laundry building. City Council on Monday night accepted a $369,500 bid from Meco Demolition of Bensalem, Pa., the second lowest-bidder. LVI/Mazzocchi Wrecking of East Hanover had been awarded a $281,000 bid by the governing body in May.

City Attorney Louis Rainone said the lowest bidder had a conforming bid but subsequent information from the second bidder revealed a “failure to disclose some ownership issues.”

State regulations require companies to disclose all who own at least 10 percent of a firm, he said, and the original low bidder had indicated it was 100 percent owned by one corporation, but that company was owned 100 percent another firm, which was owned by another corporation, and “on down the line.”

It’s unclear when the Hamilton Street structure eventually will come down to make way for a 1,000-seat ampitheater and park, but if you figure it was expected in June after the original contract was awarded in May, perhaps work might begin by September. At that time, it was expected that construction would begin in the spring and be completed by the summer.

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Arts District, Downtown, Rahway

Hamilton Laundry: Still standing

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Like the old Elton John song, the old Hamilton Laundry is “still standing.”

The City Council on Monday night will rescind a bid for demolition of the building on Hamilton Street that some day will make way for a 1,000-seat amphitheater.

With demolition permits approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year, a $281,000 bid had been awarded by the council in May. The governing body was legally required to reject the bid from LVI/Mazzocchi Wrecking after it was challenged by another bidder, City Attorney Louis Rainone explained at last night’s council pre-conference meeting.

Long story short: LVI didn’t file the appropriate paperwork. The next lowest bidder was $90,000 higher, which would have impacted the budget, said Rainone. Councilman Jerry Scaturo questioned how a second round of bids would be affected after rejecting the first round, but Rainone was hopeful the bids would come back lower when re-bid next week and not “delay the project substantially.”

City Chief Financial Officer Frank Ruggiero expects the council will award a new demolition bid by next month’s meeting (Aug. 11), and work could conceivably begin within a month or so after that.

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Hamilton demolition targeted for June

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Demolition of the former Hamilton Laundry building is expected next month. The City Council last Monday night awarded a $281,000 contract to LVI/Mazzocchi Wrecking of East Hanover after the state Department of Environmental Protection approved demolition permits last month.

Conceptual designs for an amphitheater planned at the site, which abuts the Rahway River, have been presented to the Arts District Council, City Administrator/Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said. Construction is expected next spring, to be completed by summer.

Flooding last spring (.pdf) proved too much for the Hamilton Laundry site, which at one point had been considered for a comedy club/black box theater, with Joe Piscopo among the investors. Instead, the focus of the Hamilton property will be a park and 1,000-seat amphitheater. A 7,000-square-foot black box theater and 9,000-square-foot performing arts space will focus instead on the nearby Bell building and Elizabethtown Gas property. The Redevelopment Agency is targeting the nearby Shami Apartments on Hamilton Street for 80 units of affordable housing for senior citizens and artists.

Once the amphitheater is completed, funding would be sought to retrofit the Bell building, which might be completed by summer 2010.

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