Montclair’s Central Business District could take on the appearance of a European-styled pedestrian mall if the township’s planners have their way.
Mayor Jerry Fried said he is "very excited" about the potential development of the 2.2-acre DCH Auto Group property on Bloomfield Avenue in the heart of the township’s Central Business District, and sees it as a key link in efforts to further revitalize the neighborhood.
"It offers us a once-in-a-lifetime type of opportunity," Fried explained. "It could be the link that help create a continuous European-styled urban pedestrian mall."
Fried’s comments came in reaction to a presentation from municipal Planning Director Karen Kadus, who briefed the new seven-member Township Council on the status of several potential redevelopment projects in the Central Business District.
Kadus told the governing body that the DCH Auto Group that owns and had operated the Montclair Jaguar, Volvo and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships intends to phase out its local auto sales operations. She said DCH hopes instead to develop the parcel of land that the showrooms and garages occupy for other uses.
The site, which is sandwiched between Orange and Valley roads along Bloomfield Avenue, is located at one of the township’s prime intersections.
Kadus said the current zoning for the site would allow several uses, including a hotel and a mix of commercial and residential.
She said the DCH properties is just one of several sites that could be redeveloped in the township’s Central Business District. Other redevelopment sites include the former the former Katherine Gibbs School site on Trinity Place, and the DeCozen auto dealership and the Mobil service station on Bloomfield Avenue.
Township planners have high hopes that the development at the site will help boost the surrounding commercial district. The recent downturn in the nation’s economy has been felt locally, with several storefronts along Bloomfield Avenue and adjacent streets remaining vacant.
"But this is not just about new ratables," explained Fried, who said municipal officials would like to see proposals that would draw on Montclair’s rich involvement in the arts and its many fine restaurants. Fried said he hoped any development would enhance the neighborhoods and attract shoppers, diners, patrons and visitors.
In addition to the vehicle dealerships on Bloomfield Avenue, DCH also owns and operates the Orange Road parking deck directly behind the showrooms. The six-level parking facility has 78 spaces for public use. The deck is also used by the Board of education and the Montclair Pre-K program. Both the Board of Education headquarters and the Montclair Community Pre-K facility border the $6.3 million parking deck, which was built in 2004.
DCH owns more than 30 car dealerships in the tri-state area and California. It has 19 facilities in New Jersey, including an Acura dealership in Verona and a BMW dealership in Bloomfield.
Fried said he has already had informal discussions with several local developers and interested parties about potential uses for the land. If handled properly, the land could become a major source of new property tax revenues that the township sorely needs.
"We want to be proactive rather than waiting to react after something is proposed," he said.
Fried said the project could take a couple of years to develop and he wanted the council to be prepared to consider proposals that could emerge within the next few months.
Fried and his six fellow council members took over the reigns of the townships municipal government on July 1 after their election victory this past May.
The Township Council serves as Montclair’s redevelopment agency, and it would have to approve any formal proposals submitted by developers for properties within the municipality’s redevelopment area.
