Luciano's among best of '08

Luciano's Italian Ristorante and Lounge, which opened in January, was chosen among 11 of the state's best restaurants of 2008 by The Star-Ledger last week:

"No jackets are required, but Luciano's, a cavernous Tuscan-style restaurant, evokes a more genteel time. Not a mediocre dish on the table. Menu includes many standards -- fried zucchini, mozzarella and roast peppers, veal saltimbocca. A great place to bring family for a good white-tablecloth meal at reasonable prices. Desserts, too, are made with care."

Our last visit, for dinner just before Thanksgiving, was definitely a thumbs up -- nice appetizer, great entree (Ahi Tuna) and good service. The chunks of blue cheese in the martini were a surprise; E for effort on trying to be distinctive, but I could do without it.

New timeline for Park Square: March '09

A Transit Village Update in the latest edition of "Transit-Friendly Development" makes mention of several mixed-use projects in Rahway, including Park Square, where "occupancy is scheduled for early 2009."

Eric Harvitt, a principal with Keasbey-based Landmark Companies, confirmed that they're aiming for March for occupancy in the first of the 159 rental units in the four-story buildings. You'll recall that at one point occupancy was expected by the fall. Harvitt attributed the revised timeline to "typical construction delays and maybe too aggressive a projection."

Transit-Friendly Development is a newsletter by NJ Transit and the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University.

Cuppy's? Cuppy's? Bueller?

Back in June, Cuppy's signed a lease for one of the first retail spaces at Carriage City Plaza. At the time, its Web site touted locations "coming soon" to East Brunswick, Phillipsburg and Whippany. Earlier this week, when I checked their Web site, they were down to zero locations "coming soon" in New Jersey. Last night, they were just down. Trying to get to the site, I was greeted with a "Page Load Error." Not sure if that's temporary but fear not, the Cuppy's MySpace page is still active (although he hasn't logged in since September).

A quick Web search reveals quite a bit of info about Cuppy's, some of it dating back well over a year. And not much of it good, if it's accurate, especially if you consider the Web sites are called Ripoff Report and Unhappy Franchisee. Here's some franchise info, which indicates required liquid capital of $100,000 and net worth of $50,000. The complaints pre-date a change in ownership this past May.

It's not all bad news though. Apparently, Cuppy's can make it in South Africa, Mechanicsburg, Pa. and Wilmington, N.C., among others.

NEA study: audience declines, revenues fluctuate

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.

New station stairs coming

After a few recent reader comments and emails, I inquired about the stairs, or lack thereof, on the East Milton Avenue/New York-bound side of the Train Station platform.

The photo at left was taken in June, before demolition of the stairs.

A spokesman for NJ Transit offered this: "The middle tier of the stairway is being replaced due to corrosion from anti-icing agents. Demolition is complete and reconstruction is expected to be completed within next several months. Cost is about $100,000."

The Rahway Train Station underwent a $16-million renovation in 2002.

Retail/residential project at St. Georges and Plainfield avenues

A two-story retail residential project next to the Quick Chek on St. Georges Avenue is expected to be completed by late spring. Work began early last month.

The project, at the corner of Plainfield Avenue, received Planning Board approval two years ago, but the process to secure state permits and approvals took a year, according to Ralphi Mocci, president and owner of Woodbridge-based Mocci Industries. Acquired for $325,000 in 2003, according to PropertyShark.com, the 0.3553-acre parcel at 446 St. Georges Ave. (Block 16, Lot 1) had been a vacant lot.

The ground floor will include 4,000 square feet of commercial space, which could house anywhere from one to three tenants, Mocci said. The second floor will have four luxury apartments (two, two-bedroom units and two, one-bedroom units), with off-street parking.

Mocci also was involved in the converting the former Huffman-Koos furniture store into the age-restricted, 150-unit Park Terrace Apartments on St. Georges Avenue near Rahway River Park.

Wanted: A distinctive destination

Despite the current state of the economy, the city is expected to receive a proposal next month that includes "several hundred retail prospects."

Mark Lohbauer, a principal with Community Insights, the Merchantville-based firm that handled the first phase of the Rahway Survey, believes that ideally, targeted retailers will have had success with multiple locations but not necessarily be regional chains. Rahway "wants to be a distinctive destination," he said, more along the lines of Mom-and-Pop stores with a higher level of retail savvy, "not hobbyists."

As part of a report expected in January, Lohbauer said the city will receive a list of "several hundred retail prospects," which could be matched up with potential space opportunities, and help developers determine what to pursue. Despite some retail that's expected to go out of business after the holidays, he said his firm still sees listings for businesses looking to expand. With new construction, Lohbauer said it typically can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months between the time a tenant is identified, leases negotiated and space finally occupied, all of which ideally occurs during construction.

Though the survey was conducted about a year ago, before the serious downturn in the economy, the housing market had begun its decline, Lohbauer said, but the consumer demand captured in the results is still relevant.

Previous Rahway Survey posts:
Joint advertising, co-op marketing

Retail recruitment, retention recommendations
Movie theater, clubs and related retail for entertainment district
Retail demands of new growth
Three distinct retail districts downtown
Enough demand for 18 restaurants
Retail supply and demand
Restaurants would draw us downtown (among other things)
Rahway Survey results are in

Joint advertising, co-op marketing

Consider this a sequel to Monday's post about retail recruitment and retention, as well as the penultimate post on the first phase of the Rahway Survey report, presented last month.

Community Insights recommended creating marketing materials that feature "specific leasing opportunities and provide the type of detailed demographic, economic and consumer preference information that retailers will need to reach a decision."

A joint advertising campaign would promote the city, developers and available properties, and be funded jointly by the city and participating property owners, according to Community Insights. Teaser ads, in conjunction with a coordinated public relations effort, would aim to drive prospective retailers to a Web site that would provide them the information they need.

Consultants also pushed co-op marketing, "creating retail synergies by leveraging the consumer base from one or more retailers," and recommended that the Rahway Center Partnership (RCP) undertake efforts to "identify, develop and implement co-op marketing programs among retailers that express an interest to participate."

RCP Director Ray Mikell said now it's a matter of finding funding to implement the report's recommendations, which will not be easy given the economy. The survey was partly funded by a grant from the state Department of Community Affairs.

Mark Lohbauer, a principal with Community Insights, said the firm plans to complete a proposal by January that will include specific components of retail retention and marketing, with specific cost estimates. In addition to seeking government funds, he said developers and other interested local parties could be solicited for funding.

There are a variety of other minor items in the report, but these nine posts should cover pretty much all the main points and ideas. I'll be back on Friday to make it an even 10 posts to wrap up final thoughts on the first phase of the Rahway Survey.

Previous Rahway Survey posts:

Retail recruitment, retention recommendations
Movie theater, clubs and related retail for entertainment district
Retail demands of new growth
Three distinct retail districts downtown
Enough demand for 18 restaurants
Retail supply and demand
Restaurants would draw us downtown (among other things)
Rahway Survey results are in

Retail recruitment, retention recommendations

So the results of the Rahway Survey are in. Now what? Among the recommendations by Community Insights, it suggests that Rahway must undertake "a concerted retail recruitment effort to attract the kinds of stores, restaurants and businesses that consumers most want." According to the report presented last month, "one of the reasons why consumers don't visit the downtown more often is because of the poor selection of stores and merchandise offering."

Community Insights will provide a listing of pre-qualified retail prospects that most closely meet the requirements and opportunities. Prior to the launch of the recruitment effort, it will be necessary to pre-qualify all available properties to identify suitable locations for retail prospects.

In conjuction with recruitment effort, the city must embark on a retail retention effort while identifying retailers who may be nearing the end of the business' operations because of retirement, illness or other factors. One in four retailers in a downtown area may be at risk for failure, according to Community Insights. Key indicators for identifying a retailer at risk may include stagnant inventory, erratic store hours, abundance of temporary/handwritten signage, or deferred building and store maintenance, among other things.

Previous Rahway Survey posts:
Movie theater, clubs and related retail for entertainment district
Retail demands of new growth
Three distinct retail districts downtown
Enough demand for 18 restaurants
Retail supply and demand
Restaurants would draw us downtown (among other things)
Rahway Survey results are in

Another movie filmed in Rahway?

Taking a break from redevelopment news: It looks like Cadillac Records, which opens today, can be added to the list of movies filmed in Rahway.

Thanks to a blog reader who passed along this report from All About Jazz:

"On a brisk March day in Rahway, N.J., Beyonce and Adrien Brody are filming a crucial scene for their upcoming movie, Cadillac Records. The set is an old Ukrainian social club that has been converted into a 1950s production studio, complete with vintage instruments and cream, perforated walls."

Both Yahoo! Movies and IMDB mention filming locations only as New Jersey, nothing more specific.

Meanwhile, The Wrestler, which we mentioned early this year and opens in limited release Dec. 17, is racking up indy nominations, rave reviews and Oscar talk.

Still quiet at The Savoy

With no work going on at The Savoy, now there's not even any word from its developers.

Redevelopment Director and City Administrators Peter Pelissier reported at last month's Redevelopment Agency meeting that the agency's attorney has been unsuccessful in reaching attorneys representing Dornoch Holdings.

Pelissier said Dornoch is represented by Al Faiella, who for what it's worth had some interesting dealings in Newark redevelopment.

Given the market, the guess here -- and that's all it is -- is that The Savoy will go the way of other projects and shift to rentals. That would require an amendment to its redevelopment agreement, which would need approval from the Redevelopment Agency. The credit crunch has done the same thing to other projects in Rahway. Another Dornoch project, The Lofts, shifted to lease-to-buy options with three of the four units signed up at Irving and East Cherry streets. (Here's an AM New York report about condo inventory rising amidst slumping sales in New York.)

Pelissier reported at the last Redevelopment Agency meeting (Nov. 12) that the mayor, in speaking with Dornoch principal Glen Fishman about the burned out East Cherry Street property, indicated he's interested in selling and there may be a buyer.

Dornoch received approval last year for a plan to renovate that site, where a fire occurred some five years ago. Dornoch also acquired a strip of East Cherry on the other side of the street, along with multiple properties along Main Street in anticipation of The Westbury. That project is essentially on hold as the city and Parking Authority move forward on their own with the parking component.

Dornoch had been considered for the Hamilton Street project that would rehabilitate the Shami Apartments for senior and/or artist housing and turn the Bell Building into an arts space but you can expect that redeveloper's designation will expire and another developer sought.

Someone's interested in The Chowder Pot

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Someone must be interested in buying The Chowder Pot, the long-closed bar in Lincoln Plaza near the Colonia border.

There were several keyword searches the week before last that led to Rahway Rising, namely, "how can I purchase the retail property of the chowder pot in rahway," and "chowder pot rahway nj out of business." Another one of interest was "are there any available liquor license in rahway nj." Is there nothing Google Analytics can't do?

I'm told that The Chowder Pot's liquor license was sold at auction following bankruptcy proceedings but has yet to be transferred.

There also were 14 keyword searches the same week for "Wolff & Samson Carriage City" that eventually found the blog, though not all were new visitors. The trend continued last week with 8 searches, though none were considered "new visitors." The West Orange-based law firm represents Carriage City Plaza and it's the third week in a row that a number of keyword searches made it to the blog. One visitor's keyword search was "problems at Carriage City Plaza." [Dec. 5 update: I'm told Wolff & Samson no longer represents Carriage City, "after both parties were not pleased with each other's work."]

There's also the keyword searches you wouldn't expect would find their way to the blog, like "How to wash laundry in the river." Sorry, can't help ya there.

***

I'm blogging early this week from the West Coast so the posts might arrive at odd times and I'm also catching up on local items. A regular reader already commented on this nj.com story about downtowns in this downturn, but I thought it'd be worth linking to; though it doesn't mention Rahway, it's relevant.

Then there's this report about the St. Georges Apartments selling for $3 million, in which Rahway is mentioned as "very attractive to investors because there is no rent control and it has an impressive downtown redevelopment area taking form as we speak."

Planning Board gives OK for 88 rentals

The Planning Board last Tuesday gave major preliminary site plan approval and a bulk c variance for 88 rental units for the proposed Renaissance at Rahway. It's the third time the Planning Board approved some form of the plan for the site on East Grand Avenue from Montgomery Street to Monroe.

There will be 88 parking spaces on the ground floor, one for each of the 44 one-bedroom and 44 two-bedroom units, with apartments above the parking on floors two through five.

An engineer for Renaissance said it would be impractical and economically infeasible for the site to comply with state Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS) for parking but alternate, local parking standards are allowed under the redevelopment agreement. Planning Board members were confident the commuting nature of the area would not require more parking spaces for the development.

Another aspect that will have to be addressed, but wasn't required for site plan approval, is a new service access point for neighboring Riverton (the former Rahway Geriatrics Center) since the existing service access is from Montgomery Street which will be eliminated between East Grand and Monroe Street.

There also were some concerns from Planning Board members about the type of material to be used for the building's facade, but Renaissance representatives assured the board they would use whatever material the city preferred. "We don't want that type of issue to slow us down," said Joseph Ranieri, an attorney with Weiner Lesniak representing Renaissance.

Developers presented modified plans to the Redevelopment Agency in August, which was the first time 88 units were suggested for the site. Originally, the idea was to build 72 for-sale condos but since the project shifted to rentals Renaissance had floated the idea of 64 rentals in a first phase, and possibly a second phase if one property eventually was acquired.

Developers will move forward on Block 379, Lots 2-8 and Block 378, Lot 1.01, leaving out Block 379, Lot 1, which could not be acquired from one property owner.