Plainfield makeovers: Facelifts and Falsies

Some renovations got me to thinking of bullet bras.

Despite a sagging economy, Plainfield finds itself with quite a bit of renovation activity in the central business district.

Let's go with a fashion metaphor, OK? (It's the weekend, after all.)

First, the falsies.

I'm sorry, but that's all that comes to mind with the façade renovations being made over the past year or so at 301 East Front Street (the former home of the Plainfield Senior Center).

The two new pointy peaks on the Front Street façade remind me of nothing more than bullet-bra falsies. Like falsies, they give an illusion of something that is not really there. When viewed from the side, you can even see the bar propping them up, like some Hollywood set.

The facade renovations at 301 East Front.

Facelift?

Check out the YMCA, one of the historic structures in the Civic Historic District (which includes City Hall and the Annex). The YMCA is having its façade staircase entry completed renovated.

Replacing 'like with like', the building will keep the look it has had since its construction in the early 20th century.

New steps and facade work for the YMCA's entrance.

Round windows, as in original, will replace YMCA roundels.

The railings will be removed, cleaned and replaced.

'About time,' one former YMCA employee said to me, 'those steps were really worn'.

Fact is, those steps were REALLY WORN, so worn they reminded me of photos of the Appian Way, the famous Roman stone highway.

The YMCA will be getting a refreshed façade and staircase with new treads; the round wooden discs saying 'YMCA' will be replaced with windows, as in the original; and the railings will be cleaned and reinstalled.

It will make a handsome improvement to the Civic District.

Back downtown, more renovations are under way.

As Paramount Properties continues renovating its properties,
Mr. Lee has moved from the corner to the East Front Street side.

Mr. Lee has moved his store from the corner of Front and Watchung, where he has been for decades, around the corner to newly refurbished space. Paramount Properties, the owner of that block, has renovated the stores along East Front, and will tackle the former Lee's site next.

Will a new tenant spell the demise of the classic Art Moderne sign?

Across the corner, in the Union News Building, the shop sporting the classic Beverly's Millinery sign is once again angling for a tenant.

For some, the worst of times can still be the best of times.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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New Senior Center/Condos: Butterfly emerging from cocoon?

The Monarch at Plainfield.

Plainfielders will want to trundle down East Front Street and check out the progress on the new Senior Center/condos which is being marketed as 'The Monarch at Plainfield'.

Since I hadn't noticed any butterflies in the marketing materials or signage, I had been somewhat perplexed about the 'Monarch' moniker and had wondered whether it referred to local royalty.

Checking on the progress of the recently-installed sales trailer at East Front and Westervelt, I noted a website. Though not online last week, it finally came up over the weekend (see here) and the marketing is in full bloom.

Here are some pix of the sales trailer, which of course is the 'face' of the sales effort to most people.

The sales trailer is on the corner of Westervelt Avenue.

The sales trailer is presentable enough, as these things go, and even has a handicap-access ramp along the back of the structure which can be reached from the Front Street side.

The signage is a little more questionable.

The billboard angled toward the street features the word "CONDO'S" in large letters. (I will leave it to Bernice to submit a photo to the website chronicling unnecessary apostrophes. Don't teachers teach possessives and plurals any more?)

Billboard featuring "Condo's" for sale.

The handsome landscaping on the side places what will be a very leafy shrub once Spring arrives directly in front of the signage on the structure's front. Never let the left hand know what the right hand is doing may be the motto here.

Is this shrub strategically placed to hide the sign?

The units are now listed as starting at $199,000 -- a 55% (correction) 45%
reduction from the offering price of $360,000 that was tossed around when ground was broken in the summer of 2007. Truly a sign of how far and fast the market has fallen.

With real estate sales sluggish everywhere (a similar Dornoch project in Rahway -- The Savoy -- has been stalled due to finance problems and may be converted to rentals), one has to wish the Fishman organization well, but Plainfielders may be well within their rights to worry whether this project will be turned into rentals if the units fail to sell.

There is plenty of the usual marketing hyperbole on the website --

...Masterfully crafted to maximize space, style, and value, the residences at The Monarch afford fabulous low-maintenance living for every home buyer. Each condominium home features two bedrooms and two baths in 1,120 to 1,289 luxurious square feet. Whether the Monarch home of your choice overlooks one of the surrounding serene street scenes or faces inward toward the community’s private courtyard garden terrace, from your private balcony you’re sure to enjoy your view—and sense of privacy.
...
As part of the developer’s commitment to providing luxurious living, everyday convenience, and uncommon value, an array of thoughtful features have been included at The Monarch at no additional cost.
...
includ[ing] the building’s host of features that safeguard your family and your investment, such as community entrance protection with limited access and outer entrance locks...

Is it cruel of me to note that one of those 'surrounding serene street scenes' is a view of the habitués of the Ben Franklin liquor store in the strip mall next door?

On yet another page we find this market-speak --

...A secluded sanctuary offering a bold new standard of luxurious living, these 63 sophisticated condominium homes blend quality craftsmanship with spectacular design...
...
Don’t miss your opportunity to invest in a home of your own located near shopping, dining, parks, golf courses, and transportation corridors...

Secluded? Near parks and golf courses?

Hmmmmm...

You can check out the many floor plans on the website, but I will post two samples. The 'A' plan appears to be the smallest and is presumably the one that would be offered at the $199,000 price point.

Example of an 'A' unit floor plan.

The 'C' plan includes a 'den' and is considerably larger. Presumably, this would be one of the highest-priced units. (Note that in NJ, a room without windows cannot be advertised as a 'bedroom', as every sleeping room must have a means of egress -- read 'window' -- besides the door into the room.)

Example of a 'C' unit floor plan, including a 'den'.

Meanwhile, it is uncertain how the Seniors will react to the new quarters once they realize how small it is and that part of their space is dedicated to vets-only use. Will the parking arrangements be adequate, given that projections are based on condo owners being out working during the day? Then there is the ludicrous curb-cut, presumably for the pick up and discharge of Seniors from their bus. You have to see it to believe it.

It is certainly going to be interesting to see who buys these units.

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• Website: "The Monarch at Plainfield"
• Rahway Rising: "Savoy at a standstill" | "Still quiet at Savoy" | "Savoy seeking financing"
  

-- Dan Damon

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Sign of the times: $5, please.

A vehicle gets spritzed on West 8th Street.

Aside from the occasional spritzing of vehicles by water escaping from the yellow hoses snaking through Plainfield's streets as part of the NJ American Water company's water mains project, the most annoying factor is the unpredictability of navigating downtown during the work.

Relief, I am told by one cop frequently working traffic closing for the project, is almost in sight. The work is expected to be completed by the end of November.

But don't expect to know just what streets will be closed just when and where -- it's a 'moveable feast'.

The improvement project has not been without its moments of humor, though.

A particularly powerful jet of water from a rupture on 4th Street near Park Avenue was so strong that motorists came to a stop and rolled up windows before plunging onward.

Which led a mischievous worker at the new Portuguese/Brazilian BBQ at that spot to stand under the restaurant's marquee with hand outstretched as drivers crawled by, thoroughly soaked, saying 'That'll be $5, please. And thank you!'

-- Dan Damon

Toiling in the hot summer sun

In Plainfield, man and beast alike toil in the hot summer sun to make the world go 'round.

'Beast' may be a stretch, but the bee above gathering nectar from a Bloodroot, or Scarlet Asclepias, in the Shakespeare Garden at Cedar Brook Park caught my eye. The plant is a gussied-up version of the milkweed commonly seen along country roads and in open fields.

With the help of a rail-riding crane, workers place a heavy metal plate as part of the ongoing reconstruction of New Jersey Transit's Plainfield rail crossings. The work shown here is at the Madison Avenue crossing, after which the crane moved west to the Central Avenue overpass. Reconstruction of the overpasses is scheduled to be finished in 2009.

The bee did not appear to break a sweat; can't say the same for the NJT workers.

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-- Dan Damon

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Traffic snafus? Get used to it.

Yesterday was a lollapalooza in the ongoing work on the city's water mains.

Drivers at midday found it nearly impossible to navigate northbound or southbound in downtown, faced with the following obstacles --

• Southbound traffic on Central Avenue was blocked at West 2nd Street;
• Northbound and southbound traffic on Park Avenue was blocked between 2nd Street and North Avenue; and
• Northbound traffic on Watchung Avenue was blocked at East 5th Street

Hopefully no expectant mother in labor was waiting for a bus to Trinitas to deliver.

So many police cars were seen tied up at these and various other intersections that I noticed a street opening by the same crews at Madison and Stelle Avenues was being covered by a shiny black unmarked police car.

"Get used to it," I was advised by one officer I stopped to chat with, "looks like it will continue at least through next month."

The ubiquitous crews in the tan trucks of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son are working on contract for New Jersey American Water (formerly the locally-owned Elizabethtown Water, whose foreign ownership is disguised by the new corporate name).

Monday was the first I noticed any kind of a public sign about the work that has been going on for about two months now -- at the selfsame corner of Stelle and Madison, where the sign above was neatly stapled to a utility pole.

What are they doing? Now you know.

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-- Dan Damon

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Dig, string and build we must

Water system being relined.




Giant spool of fiber optic cable for Verizon FIOS.




NJT is rebuilding overpasses.

Wherever you turn, major work by utilities and other public entities is going on, putting me in mind of the 'Dig We Must' signs that New Yorkers were accustomed to seeing in times past whenever ConEd would open a street.

In Plainfield, the water system is being relined, with passersby and cars getting spritzed from water spraying from the occasional cracked yellow PVC pipe.

Verizon is finally stringing the fiber optic cable for its long-awaited FIOS service. Can we hope the announcement of service for Plainfield is not far off?

Meanwhile, NJT is reaching the far end of its multi-year project of rebuilding the overpasses at Madison and Central Avenues and Liberty and New Streets. If you were paying attention to the details in the story of the man struck by the Raritan Valley train the other day and knocked from the track to Central Avenue, you will have learned that the overpass is also being raised -- good for trucks!

One worry, though. Will all the opened streets be repaved with infrared technology, which makes for seamless patches and reduces the bumpety-bump ride? Or will we get treated to the rough ride you can experience along the 4th Street side of the Fire Division headquarters?

Makes a difference.

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-- Dan Damon

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NJT Bridge Work: Central Avenue, New Street closed

Just like clockwork, NJT has closed Central Avenue (two-way traffic) and New Street (southbound only) to vehicular traffic as part of its ongoing program of Plainfield bridge renovations.

The barricades went up on Saturday and are expected to remain in place until next Spring.

Readers who use Central Avenue as a quick and easy route to and from Route 22 and other points should make alternate plans.

Meanwhile, Liberty Street (northbound) and Madison Avenue (southbound) are once again open to vehicular traffic.

With the recent completion of the Duer Street bridge work over the Green Brook, the Duer Street/Madison Avenue route will help those who want to avoid the Central Avenue headache, but only on the SOUTHBOUND trip.

As Roy Rogers and Dale Evans used to sing, "Happy Trails To You".

---

Plainfield Today: "An overview of the 2007-2009 NJT bridge renovations"

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
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Bond pays for paving Plainfield streets

Recent work on Kenyon Avenue by the Old High School.

With 110 miles of streets, Plainfield's City Council is continuing the aggressive 15-year road repair and rebuilding program it began three years ago, after an engineering study laid out the condition and need for repair for every single street in the city.

The Council has approved floating a $7.4M bond issue to cover the next series of streets. Work done involves milling and repaving. In some cases, new curbing and street trees are installed.

Streets on the list for this bond issue are --

• West 8th Street
• Brook Lane
• Court Place
• Evergreen Avenue
• Fayette Place
• Gavett Place
• Kensington Avenue
• Maplewood Terrace
• Netherwood Avenue
• North Avenue
• South Second Street
• Stilford Avenue
• Watchung Avenue

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
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Inman Avenue Crossing Update

Traffic on Inman Avenue early Friday afternoon.

Talk about promises kept!

Plainfielders who use the busy Inman Avenue corridor in North Edison were treated to an EARLY completion of the reconstruction of the Conrail crossing at Westgate.

Eastbound view; new track on left.

This was a textbook case of how to manage a disruptive project. There were electronic roadside warnings for a couple of weeks before the work began. Once begun, the detours were clearly marked and police were on hand on either side of the closed crossing to deter adventurers.

But most important of all, the FIRST LAW OF CUSTOMER SERVICE was honored: Underpromise and overdeliver. The project was actually finished about noon on Friday, well BEFORE the projected completion time.

Could the Robinson-Briggs administration draw a lesson here?

Maybe.

Westbound view of new track
(on right) in place.

-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield Tower West in $16M rehab

Plainfield Tower West, the high-rise at West 7th and Plainfield Avenue, has received a grant of $879,000 from a state affordable housing fund toward a $16M rehabilitation program planned by its owner, Presbyterian Homes of New Jersey, according to a report in the Ledger.

The 12-story building has 154 apartments for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities.

Included in the rehab will be thermal pane windows and the replacement of cabinets, countertops and vanities in all units. Additionally, the roof and the building's air conditioning and heating systems will be replaced.

Apartments must be reserved for low-income residents for at least 30 years, in exchange for which Presbyterian Homes will receive $7.5M in Federal low-income housing tax credits.

Questions about the PILOT for this facility were raised at an April City Council meeting (see my post), though to my knowledge they have not been answered.

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
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Signs of the times

SIGNS OF THE TIMES February 2007 Eye-catching construction activity around town, presented for your amazement, amusement, or consternation -- your pick. Some of these are signs of more to come. Some you may hope are NOT signs of more to come. All are making for a different Plainfield from the one you knew even a short time ago.
West 4th Street, 600 Block This surely gives a new meaning to the notion of a 'shotgun' house. It's an expansion of an existing dwelling, across from the old Plainfield Health Center.	Arlington Avenue, 900 Block This new house towers over its neighbors. Makes you wonder how that got approved. The windows may meet code, but they appear as tiny punchouts in a slab of wall -- more like portholes than windows.
Emerson School construction, view 1 While school construction faces an undecided future throughout the state, Emerson is the only project under way in Plainfield now.	Emerson School construction, view 2 If the state welches on the rest of Plainfield's school construction, will the former National Starch property ever return to the tax rolls? You REALLY want to know the answer to that one.
East Front Street, 700 Block How to develop a deep narrow lot? Putting the drive down one lot line and stacking them cheek-by-jowl? That's one solution, as in these new multi-families.	Belvedere Avenue, 900 Block What to do when your house is on a hill, with a thousand steps to the front door? Take some of the hill away. The UPS guy will be thankful.
Myrtle Avenue, 1000 Block, view 1 This classic 1920s center-hall Colonial is getting a new neighbor. Scary looking construction entrance for the new foundation has swiped the soil right up to the foundation.	Myrtle Avenue, 1000 Block, view 2 Neighborhood rumor is that this will be Plainfield's first tear-down, with the gracious colonial to disappear and be replaced by another new unit on this spacious double-wide lot. Progress?