Continue reading Former El Bodegon reopens tonight as Patria
The old Decker’s Tavern at West Inman and Jaques avenues was demolished earlier this month. The tavern had operated for 66 years until it closed in 2006 and will be replaced by an ice cream shop, Piece of Cake, which operates its manufacturing facility across the street.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment gave its approval for the new facility last month and it’s expected to be built and open for business by spring 2012.
Here’s a story I’d been meaning to link to for awhile from The Star-Ledger/nj.com: “Summit considers charging for parking in free lots in downtown parking district.” It’s always curious to see what other municipalities are doing with their downtown in general, but especially when it comes to parking since that’s an integral part of it.
The city has reached tentative agreement on a dispute over sewer connection fees for a proposed Irving Street restaurant.
City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier told commissioners Wednesday night he was told by partners in the Station Bar & Grill that they could not do the project if they had to pay the city’s total calculation. The city doesn’t want to stop the project, he added, but is willing to work within the confines of the ordinance.
The calculation for the connection fee range, set by city ordinance, is based on a property’s historic data and previous occupants. The amount the developers want to pay, according to Pelissier, is about a quarter of the calculation by the city’s construction official. The developers, he added, have shared their calculation with the city and what they think they should be charged.
The Planning Board approved a minor site plan for the 6,900-square-foot project last June.
In case you somehow haven’t yet heard about “Rahway’s snow babe,” it first appeared Saturday via CNN’s iReport, before getting picked up in Wednesday’s Star-Ledger, and then on and on.
Demolition of Koza’s Bar started on Monday, two years after an initial proposal to build 12 units at the site was rejected.
The developer returned to the Zoning Board in October 2008 with a revised plan for nine units in a two-story structure at the West Scott Avenue site, which is about 0.88 acres. Final site plan approval was granted early this year and demolition was expected in the spring.
At that time, the developer hoped to put them on the market for about $350,000 but did not rule out renting the condos until the real estate market improves. The three-bedroom units will be about 1,600 square feet.
Thanks to reader Christine who tipped me off via the Rahway Rising Facebook page when demolition began on Monday.
Some interior work looks like it was going on for a few weeks. The project was approved by the Planning Board in June, details of which can be found in the earlier post.
For a look at what some nearby towns have in mind as far as redevelopment, here’s a piece from nj.com about Fanwood’s efforts to make its downtown more like Cranford or Westfield.
The New York Times on Friday had a review of Cubanu, calling it “uneven but generally satisfying.” They loved the starters, particularly the crab and avocado salad, and the desserts. They also described the restaurant as three years old but it’s more like two, having opened in late 2007.
Last year, The Star-Ledger gave Cubanu 2 1/2 stars, and of course, here’s our take from way back in January 2008 soon after it first opened. I’ve been back since and I’d say the appetizers still are my favorite part of the menu.