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2023 Updates

2023 Updates 

 

January 2023

The Borough just closed on 220 WC (front building) in December 2022. As soon as permits are secured, the front building will be demolished and the building of 70 rental units will commence. We expect this to happen within the next month! Currently, The Borough is finalizing plans for the community center and will solicit bids according to the local public contracts law. The community center will be comprised of a mid-sized sports court, a commercial kitchen, and a large community room for Allendale residents and seniors. The location of the community center is directly in front of the condo units. The Borough also applied for a Federal grant and has so far received encouraging news that we will receive it. This grant will make a significant impact on the cost of this project. The Borough closed on the back building (230 West Crescent) last year which is currently functioning as a small warehouse. 

 

May 2023 

The building of the 70 rentals at 220 West Crescent Ave (front portion of Black Millwork) is going up at lightning speed. You can see the units and the courtyard from the street. The rental units are owned and operated by Hampshire. Residents who are interested to rent a unit are sending in their names and I am happy to pass this list on to the developer. I do not have prices at this time.

The Borough’s Community Center will be directly in front (actually attached) to these rentals. The Borough will own our Community Center and owns the land that it sits on.

The building of the new Municipal Community Center will commence once the Borough goes to bid, we are so close! 

The entire facility at 220 West Crescent will be a community center with one half being a gym for fitness and physical activity and the other half being an open space for meetings. There will also be a commercial kitchen. The building will be one story now and skillfully designed with optionality, meaning, if a second story ever needs to be added in the future, it can be easily adapted.

The current administrative and building offices at Borough Hall at 500 W. Crescent will remain there as well as the Borough Council Chambers. Lee Memorial Library will also remain in its space at 500 W. Crescent.  

We are also navigating through a $750,000 HUD grant that we received from the state to help offset costs.

The Borough closed on the back building (230 West Crescent) last year which currently functions as a small warehouse.

 

June 2023

220 West Crescent Ave (front portion of Black Millwork) will be comprised of 70 residential rentals AND a municipal community center. Currently, you only see the 70 rental units from the street. The Borough has not begun to build the community center yet as we still have to go to bid. Our building will be directly in front of and attached to the 70 residential units. The rental units are owned and operated by Hampshire. The Borough will own our community center and owns the land that it sits on. The community center will be a wonderful addition to Allendale. We currently do not have space to house meetings and events for all of our wonderful organizations. This much-needed space will benefit the entire community, from kids to seniors. It will be for Allendale residents only. We look forward to getting input from the community as we get closer to completing the project. The Borough closed on the back building (230 West Crescent) last year which currently functions as a small warehouse. The current Borough Hall offices at 500 W. Crescent will remain there as well as the Borough Council chambers, Lee Memorial Library will also remain in its space at 500 WC.

 

August 2023 

I am happy to share that the Borough has gone out to bid for the community center and if all goes well, we will have a builder by the end of the month and start construction within the next few months.

For clarification, the 70 rental units that you see up now at 220 WC will be at the back of the building. Our community center is the front façade of the building. This is why there are no windows facing the West Crescent side.

The community center will have a large meeting/community room with a kitchenette on one side and a gym with a larger commercial kitchen on the other side. The facility will serve the entire community from our toddlers to our seniors. The municipal offices and library will remain at 500 WC.

It is also important to know that we are very fortunate to have only 70 units at this site. The Borough acquired the entire property from a Brooklyn based developer who was known to build high density housing.

In addition, when we went to sell the property and go to bid, the other bidders proposed hundreds of units and another proposal with up to 300.

We were able to negotiate this deal because we were one of only 6 municipalities out of 566, who received certifications for all 3 rounds for Fair Share Housing (formally called Mt Laurel and COAH)

Because of vision and good planning, we didn’t have to build super high density like our neighboring towns. For example

  • Montvale- 1000+
  • Mahwah- 800 +
  • Old Tappan- 229
  • USR- 200 +
  • SR - 277 w/187 affordable
  • Park Ridge -800

While we all would rather see no rentals/condos, this is the reality we live in now with Fair Share Housing obligations. We are fortunate and I am proud that we were able to negotiate this deal as well as carve out space for a community center, something we desperately need and were very close to not having.

I have personally worked hard on this project since 2018 with many ups and downs and Covid in the middle. I know in my heart that this is the best deal for the community and will continue to work hard to get the community center built.

If anyone would like more information, please email me at: amywilczynski@allendalenj.gov or any council person.