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Redevelopment plan gets big boost from HUD community block grant

By Teresa Edmond
Staff Writer
Suburban Trends
February 4, 2009

The state awarded the borough $127,000 through Passaic County, which would go toward improving the facade of four buildings on Ringwood Avenue between Second and Third Avenues.

The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) trickles down from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the state to the county and to the municpalities. The CDBG aims to fund community development activities like affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure work.

Three of the four building house separate businesses: a beauty supply store, a pharmacy and an automobile supply shop. The fourth building houses three more businesses: AT&T Wireless, a karate school, and a Filipino and Spanish food market.

As part of several pending redevelopment projects, the municipality wants to revamp the buildings' exteriors to look consistent with the Haskell Towne Centre across he street, said Mayor Daniel Mahler.

"We're not making them exactly the same, but we want them to have a theme," he said.

The borough learned about receiving the $127,000 grant during the week of Jan. 25. Mahler said he planned to announce the news at a special Jan. 28 council meeting, where the council would have reviewed conceptual designs for a new municipal complex, but didn't do so because the meeting got cancelled. He said he plans to announce it at a Feb. 9 council meeting.

Business owners reacted differently to the grant money and their storefronts' future facelifts.

Representatives of Kressaty's Pharmacy said that although they knew about the redevelopment plans, they would rather not comment until they learn more about the grant and speak to Mahler.

Richard DuHaime, owner of Valentine's Beauty Supply Co., was more receptive to news of the $127,000 development grant.

"I haven't been officially notified, but when we do, we'll do what'll have to be done," he said. "It'd be great for the town."

Five other Passaic County towns besides Wanaque were tapped to get the grant money, including two in the Suburban Trends coverage area. Pompton Lakes got $80,000 for a library renovation project, and West Milford snatched up $183,581 to support the Marshall Hill Road sidewalk improvement program.

William Paterson University, Wayne, secured $13,500 in CDBG for a business-consulting project that would assist Passaic County municipalities.

The county has laid out the criteria for applicants, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders selects the qualified candidates.

According to Deborah Hoffman, director of the Passaic County Development Department, the borough "ranked highly" among the CDBG applicants because its project "has positive impact on the local residential and business communities."

The county freeholders are scheduled to formally present the award money to the local recipients at their Feb. 10 meeting, which Mahlewr and Borough Administrator Tom Carroll plan to attend.

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