File Photo
The South Orange Board of Trustees decided June 30 to designate Landmark Hospitality as the conditional redeveloper of Village Hall, above to the left. The trustees hope the addition of a restaurant in the historic building will make that corner more vibrant and active.
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Village Hall will remain standing, but soon it will become a restaurant. At its meeting June 30, the South Orange Board of Trustees voted unanimously to designate restaurateur Landmark Hospitality as the conditional redeveloper for Village Hall. While some residents supported the decision, it left a bad taste in the mouths of others, who made their opinions known the previous night, June 29, at the first part of the two-night BOT meeting.
Before June 30, the fate of Village Hall could have gone in either of two ways. The historic building, formerly the seat of the village’s government, could have been sold to a redeveloper for commercial use or the village could have retained ownership and renovated the decaying building.
Renovation began a couple of years ago, with an asbestos abatement completed, among other upgrades and restorations. Approximately one year ago, however, the BOT decided to pursue the alternative of selling the building, as the renovation was projected to be quite costly. The topic had been broached already approximately five years earlier, but the trustees at that time were not convinced the proposals they had received would be in the village’s best interest.
That is clearly no longer the case.
The village received two bids for the property that it found highly feasible for South Orange. The first bid, which was rejected June 30, came from Rosen Group Architecture/Design in Madison to transform the building into a boutique hotel. The second bid, which has been accepted, came from Landmark Hospitality in Jersey City to turn the first floor into a restaurant and bar, and the second floor into event space for meetings and parties.
Landmark has a history of converting historic buildings into restaurants and inns and some of its past work can be viewed by visiting www.landmarkhospitality.com or checking out its YouTube channel, “Landmark Hospitality.”
At a June 15 community forum to present the two bids and receive community feedback regarding plans for Village Hall, Frank Cretella, Landmark’s founder and principal, said the first floor of the restaurant would contain dining, a bar and lounge area, a lobby and an open kitchen. Cretella wants the restaurant to have a sophisticated tavern feel and to provide some entertainment by opening the kitchen open for diners to view.
Outdoors, Cretella plans to restore the facade — a condition of South Orange awarding the bid — and to add outdoor dining and benches to make that corner of the village more vibrant.
According to plans shown by Cretella at the June 15 meeting, the second floor would have four rooms: one larger event space that could seat approximately 125 people, according to Cretella, and three smaller meeting rooms that could also serve as cocktail-hour rooms.
Cretella said June 15 that he is excited to work on Village Hall as he loves helping buildings survive long past their expected lifespan, and sees Village Hall as a beautiful, unique building. He cited his company’s experience working with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office and going through the necessary steps to protect landmark locations.
“Village Hall is a spectacular building, it just needs some love,” Cretella said. “We have experience of not only going through the process with SHPO, which we do in-house, because I have a real-estate company and a construction company. So we’re familiar with that process. We’ve done it numerous times and it’s a process that we enjoy. There’s a collaboration. We work with many historic boards throughout the state, Pennsylvania and New York, and it’s something that is a process, but it’s a process that we like and I think we’re good at it.
“So I think people that are concerned with how that renovation will go should stay concerned, but rest assured that the end result will be something that everybody will be proud of,” Cretella continued.
Cretella emphasized that his company works to become part of the community and likes to give back, although he cautioned that things will likely begin slowly as the restaurant works to build its customer base. Landmark operates the Help Us Give Program, which donates 10 percent of the profit made from the three most profitable tables to community nonprofits.
Cretella said the nonprofits are chosen to receive funding from H.U.G. with input from Landmark wait staff, who are usually local.
Cretella also cautioned that the current plans, which can be seen at www.southorange.org, as well as at the Landmark website, are placeholders and are not the definitive plans.
The trustees unanimously passed Resolution No. 2015-157 on June 30, designating Landmark Hospitality as the conditional redeveloper for the property. This designation allows the village to enter negotiations with Landmark and for Landmark to finalize its blueprints.
According to Joseph Baumann of the law firm McManimon, Scotland & Baumann at the June 30 meeting, the village and Landmark will have 60 days to iron out an agreement. Baumann serves as the village’s redevelopment counsel.
As the negotiations are not yet complete, Village President Sheena Collum has said at several meetings that the village cannot yet release specific financial data regarding the sale of Village Hall. So, while the residents may not have all the information at this time, the trustees do and they decided to go with Landmark in a 6-0 vote.
Trustee Walter Clarke said June 30 that, while not all residents will agree with the board’s decision, he wants them to know that it was a difficult decision and the BOT spent a lot of time sifting through information.
“We’re going to do the right thing for the future of South Orange,” Clarke promised.
Trustee Mark Rosner said June 30 he was “pleasantly surprised” by Landmark’s and Rosen Group’s proposals, considering the lackluster proposals received five years ago. He added that using Village Hall as the seat of South Orange’s government just does not make sense. He believes the government is running more effectively out of the smaller office space it is currently renting.
“We have to do everything we can to make sure we fiscally manage everything,” Rosner said, pointing to the recent tough financial times and the fact that it makes more sense financially to move government functions elsewhere. “It will remain a historic building, will be gorgeous to look at and it will still be an icon in the center of town.”
Trustee Howard Levison said June 30 that he understands that Village Hall is the focal point of the village and he does not believe Landmark will detract from that. Levison, who chairs the Finance Committee, added that, after a detailed look at the finances regarding each possible decision, “adaptive re-use is favorable financially.”
Trustee Deborah Davis Ford also pointed out that the village only has so much money and the Village Hall renovation would be costly. She reminded residents that the village only receives approximately 28 cents of every tax dollar and, of that 28 cents, 70 percent goes to employees and public safety.
She hopes that going with Landmark will allow the village to spend the money it has earmarked for renovation on other needy buildings, such as the police station, the library, the Baird Center and the Connett building.
According to Trustee Stephen Schnall, while the financial aspect is important, one must also look at other dimensions — “quantitative and qualitative.”
“It’s more than just dollars and cents,” Schnall said June 30. “In order to protect the building and its history going forward, I think the restaurant, with its background and experience, will be able to do things we would not have been able to do.”
Trustee Jeffrey DuBowy, who filled Collum’s empty seat after she won the election for village president, reminded the audience that just because a building has been used for a certain purpose, that does not mean it cannot be used for another. He also said the June 30 vote does not set anything in stone and, moving forward, the village will continue to look for the best options when necessary.
Collum, who as village president does not have a vote, also expressed her faith in Landmark’s ability to make that corner more vibrant. She explained that, although back in 2011 she had been opposed to adaptive re-use, the options brought to the table in 2015 are much better. Also, she now knows more about the village’s finances and knows its government does not need an entire building, as personnel numbers have been reduced and more services are being digitalized.
While South Orange’s elected officials were united in the belief that Landmark’s purchase of Village Hall will be beneficial in the long run, residents were not all convinced. The audience seemed to be split, with half supporting adaptive re-use and half urging for renovation and restoration.
The initial public comment on the Village Hall issue occurred June 29; as there was a lot to discuss, the BOT decided to hold the meeting during two nights. Although there was some confusion June 30 as to the proper format of the meeting, the meeting June 30 was merely a continuation of the official meeting begun the previous night.
While some residents felt that they were not given adequate time and opportunity to voice their opinions on Village Hall’s future, Baumann pointed out that the decision process has been ongoing for several months and has included analysis from experts and public meetings. Collum the BOT has received advisory opinions from the South Orange Historic Preservation Commission, the South Orange Village Center Alliance and the Development Committee.
Some of the most vocal opponents were members of the HPC. HPC member Amy Dahn presented a short video — which can
be viewed on YouTube here — explaining some of the commission’s reasons for opposing adaptive re-use.
In the video, Dahn said: “Selling Village Hall is like selling your parents, grandparents and great-great-grandparents. Would you do that? If we sell Village Hall, we will forever lose the ability to care for the building. An historic preservation easement will not fully protect the building. A developer who purchases Village Hall can do the same thing the village has done.
Deferred maintenance of this venerable building and a full year left open to the elements has only furthered its decay.”
HPC member Elyse Carter was quoted in the video as saying that, while a boutique hotel and tavern-like restaurant would be welcome in South Orange, it is a bad idea to consider putting either in Village Hall.
“The restaurant and hotel proposals are very impressive, but to displace our government offices is shortsighted,” Carter said. “I would like to remind each member of the Board of Trustees that the decision will be your biggest legacy.”
HPC member Karen Marlowe said in the video that it is impossible to support the project when the finances have not been disclosed. Additionally, she believes it sets a bad precedent for selling off beloved landmarks.
“Don’t get me wrong, the proposals are very sexy, but merely eye candy to anyone viewing them at this point,” Marlowe said in the video. “All window dressing and no substance.”
Several other HPC members spoke at the June 29 meeting session to read aloud the two letters sent from the HPC to the BOT opposing the adaptive re-use, listing some reasons as lost finances considering the renovation tasks already completed, gambling with the village’s history and the government’s image, and potentially harming future generations.
Resident Thomas Hut also worries about the future. He expressed concern that a restaurant may not be a permanent solution.
“I have seen firsthand how development can flicker and flame out,” Hut said June 29. “We need a use for this building that is permanent and fixed. Government is permanent.”
Resident Susan Falk’s main concern was that she felt the village was being disrespectful to the building and its older residents.
“We need to teach our kids, our town, our citizens the respect for something that is old. It needs care. So what? Will it last forever? It may not last forever,” Falk, a resident since 1968, said June 29. “Treat it with respect. Treat it with love. Treat it the way you would a senior member of your family.”
Falk also borrowed the slogan of the Village Keepers in Maplewood: “Keep the village a village.” Ironically, that slogan was coined in opposition to Maplewood’s proposed post office redevelopment plans in the hope that the township will take a closer look at adaptive re-use; here, South Orange is pursuing adaptive re-use and meeting with pushback from residents.
Many residents have expressed concern that if a private owner, such as Landmark, should fail in its business venture, the owner may simply decide to demolish the building. A private owner is not constrained under the same restrictions as a municipality.
Baumann explained, however, that a historic easement is being placed on the property, which will protect the building, so that private owners cannot demolish it. He explained that the easement will “preserve Village Hall in perpetuity.”
While many residents spoke out against adaptive re-use, many residents supported it.
South Orange Village Center Alliance Executive Director Bob Zuckerman read a letter from SOVCA Board of Trustees Chairman Matt Glass saying how excited the association is for a restaurant or hotel to come into the village center.
Zuckerman and Glass expressed that Village Hall, as a government building, does not bring people into the village on weekends or weeknights. They have faith in Landmark, saying its past projects show that it has succeeded on similar projects. They did caution, however, that a plan for parking should be considered.
Village Hall is already an example of adaptive re-use, pointed out resident Brian Nesin, who serves on the Development Committee. Nesin reminded the audience that Village Hall served as a fire station before becoming the seat of village government in the 1970s.
“It has never been a great village hall,” Nesin said June 29, pointing out that it has bad circulation and “awkward spaces.” He argued that renovation will not change that, without costing an exorbitant amount. “I don’t understand why we should have our village government take from street life.”
Resident Steve Kitzinger echoed Nesin’s sentiments, saying that Village Hall has only held the government for approximately 40 years, and did not house the government for more than 75 percent of South Orange’s history. He said a private entity will better be able to restore the building. With the offers on the table and the known costs of renovation, he told the trustees that renovation by the village “would be the height of insanity.”
Resident Rich Janow encouraged pursuing adaptive re-use, especially if it is cheaper. He criticized the oft-spoken prediction that a restaurant inside the building would fail, and asked, why should it? He said that if the contract is worded well, there is no reason to worry that Village Hall will be destroyed. He argued that, whether the interior is used as a restaurant or village offices, that will not affect the exterior view. “Using it for government offices is a low-value application,” he said.
Resident Jon Vogel said that an alternative use will be better for the building and reminded the audience that South Orange does not have the best track record when it comes to renovation, saying an outside contractor with a stake in preserving the building will save Village Hall.
Vogel also questioned the wisdom of wanting to send potential investors away. “We should be embracing people who come to town with new investment ideas,” he said June 29.
Landing somewhere in the middle of the debate, Bob Barnett, a former HPC member, suggested the village retain ownership and rent the first floor to Landmark, keeping the second floor for village offices. He argued that the building qualifies for various grants as a village-owned property. More than anything, Barnett said he wants the construction sign in front of Village Hall to be removed as no work has been done there recently, and he finds it disingenuous.