Tag Archives: Hamilton Street

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Architect hired for amphitheater, Bell Building

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City Council approved two contracts last week for an architectural firm to prepare a conceptual design and cost estimate for the Hamilton Street amphitheater and black box theater and dance studio planned at the Bell Building.

Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects of Princeton received both contracts, $65,000 for the amphitheater and $49,000 for the Bell Building. City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said at last week’s council meeting that cost estimates would be necessary before moving forward with construction. The project is scheduled to break ground, and be completed, during 2010.

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Thanks to everyone who came out to The Waiting Room on Friday night for our first official, informal happy hour. I wasn’t sure what kind of turnout to expect but we had upward of 20 people at one time and commandeered a couple tables. It was a nice mix of old and new faces and I had a great time. Next time we’ll plan a little better, but there definitely will be a next time, perhaps some time after the holidays. And I’m always up for suggestions on where and when to have it.

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Rahway among DEP-selected brownfield sites

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Rahway was among six sites chosen as Brownfield Development Areas last week by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The designation allows towns to identify clusters of brownfield sites, which have been abandoned or underutilized because of known or suspected contamination, for coordinated remediation and redevelopment. More importantly, cities are eligible for up to $5 million in grants annually for investigation and remediation along with the assistance of a case manager to oversee the process.

There were eight sites eligible in Rahway:
– The former Hamilton Laundry site where a 1,100-seat amphitheater is planned
– Myron Ross Park on Essex Street
– Park Square
– The proposed Station Place project on the site of A&M Supply on Campbell Street
– The former Wheatena factory on Elizabeth and West Grand avenues
– City Hall Plaza (due to the Police Department’s gas pumps)
– The Savoy
– The Westbury

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Uncategorized

Asbestos removal could near $100K on Hamilton home

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Asbestos remediation for a home that will be demolished to make way for the amphitheater on Hamilton Street could cost almost $100,000.

City Engineer James Housten briefed Redevelopment Agency commissioners during a meeting earlier this month. He said a survey estimated the cost to deal with asbestos at 312 Hamilton St. to be $43,000, with administrative costs possibly bringing the total to $93,000. Asbestos must be removed from the roof, floors and tiles before demolition can occur, he said. The Redevelopment Agency acquired the two-story, multi-family home last year for $340,000 to include the space for the Hamilton project.

Housten also described the design for the amphitheater project site. The amphitheater itself will be on the front, left portion of the Hamilton property, with parking in the rear center and rear right, and continuing to a lot behind where the house is located, and up and around the Bell Building.

The site still lies within a flood plain so the stage must be built to withstand stormwater, though it can be approved because there no homes or businesses are planned. Still, he added, it’s a serious waiver that is not easily obtained from Department of Environmental Protection. Housten said the hope is to gain approval by December.

The amphitheater project is expected to go to bid and break ground by next year. The second phase, once the amphitheater is constructed, will include design and development of the Bell Building for a black box and dance theater.

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Arts District, City Council, Downtown, Traffic

Summer work: Irving-Central signalization

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Work is expected to begin next month to reconfigure the intersection of Central Avenue and Hamilton, Irving and West Main streets.

The project will add a traffic signal to the intersection to coordinate traffic coming from five different directions and address the no-left turn from West Main to Irving streets, according to City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier.

Work also will include creating a triangular traffic island between Hamilton and Central and widening Irving opposite the Union County Arts Center.

City Council on Wednesday night approved a $224,000 contract with Piscataway-based Fai-Gon Electric for signalization.

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City Council

Asbestos, tank removal for Bell Building

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Contracts totaling nearly $75,000 for asbestos abatement and storage tank removal at the Bell Building, along with a change-order for the removal of a storage tank at the former Hamilton Laundry site were approved by City Council earlier this month. Contracts went to AWT Environmental Services, DIA General Construction of Clifton, and Warren-based Whitestone Associates.

A banner at the Hamilton Laundry site proclaims a spring 2010 timeline for a 1,000-seat amphitheater. A black box theater and performing arts space is planned for the Bell Building while the neighboring Shami Apartment are eyed for senior/artists’ housing.

The house adjacent to the Hamilton Laundry site was acquired by the Redevelopment Agency and scheduled to close in December, but Agency attorney Frank Regan reported that the owner has been unable to vacate tenants, which was one of the conditions of closing, and may need to proceed with eviction, but not until the end of this month.

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Arts District, Downtown, Rahway, Redevelopment Agency

Agency buys Hamilton Street home for $340K

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The Redevelopment Agency last week authorized the purchase of a Hamilton Street home for $340,000 as part of an overall plan for an amphitheater at the former Hamilton Laundry site.

The agency previously made an offer of $310,000, which was rejected by the current owner, Colonia-based Grove Investments, LLC. The property is assessed at $146,700, according to PropertyShark.com, and paid about $6,400 in property taxes last year. PropertyShark lists the most recent sale date as February 1998, but no sales data was available on the 0.0859-acre site.

The multi-family home at 312-314 Hamilton St. (Block 167, Lot 44), adjacent to the former Hamilton Laundry, eventually will make way for a concession stand and restrooms, as part of the plans for an amphitheater along the river.

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Agency makes offer for adjacent site

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The Redevelopment Agency is looking to acquire another property adjacent to the former Hamilton Laundry site (in the background of photo at left; a closer look here).

Redevelopment Counsel Frank Regan said at last week’s meeting that the agency made a “good-faith offer” to the owner of the multi-family property immediately to the west of the site. Though the property owner rejected the $310,000, which was based on an appraisal, there is a willingness to sell and a counter offer was made, Regan said. Funds for the acquisition were allocated as part of financing approved in a bond ordinance last month, he added.

Redevelopment Director and City Administrator Peter Pelissier said the mayor and Arts District Advisory Board are still deliberating over the design of the amphitheater itself. The agency acquired the Hamilton Laundry site in 2004 for about $2 million, according to propertyshark.com, and has plans to create a park and amphitheater after an effort to build a comedy club was scratched as a result of flooding on the site. A black box theater and performing arts space instead are planned up the street at the former Bell building.

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