A proposed partnership between a local businessman and the township to develop a $7.2 million parking garage downtown is moving forward.
Ben Heinemann, owner of BP Graphics at 315 Fourth St., has a plan to build a five-story commercial complex across the street from his current location behind the Strand Theatre. It would include a 207-space parking garage. The complex would replace the 55-space township parking lot at that site.
As part of the deal, Heinemann would swap land with the township to build the commercial complex, which would have retail space on the first floor and office space on the fifth floor. The Lakewood Development Corp. would fund the construction of the municipal parking garage floors while Heinemann would pay for the retail and office space.
An appraisal of the two properties must be completed before the exchange can take place. The development corporation also must draft and approve a formal proposal. The Township Committee also would have to endorse the project.
“There’s a lot of things that need to happen for all this to fall into place,” Heinemann said.
During a development corporation meeting Tuesday, Township Committeeman Charles Cunliffe spoke favorably of the plan.
“What’s our biggest problem downtown? Parking,” Cunliffe said.
Cunliffe said it may be worth adding an additional floor of parking to the complex.
“If you want that, I don’t have a problem doing it,” Heinemann said.
The parking garage would include 207 spaces. Another floor would increase the number of slots to 276.
Such an addition would also add about $2.8 million to the cost, cautioned Russell K. Corby, executive director of the development corporation. The corporation’s funds are limited, he said.
Nonetheless, the reaction to partnership was positive during the meeting. Details, though, still need to be worked out, officials said.
Initially, Heinemann had plans to expand his current building, which backs up against the Strand.
BP Graphics’ original expansion plan, however, would have shut off access to the theater’s loading dock, which can be reached only by crossing Heinemann’s property.
However, Township Committeeman Raymond Coles approached Heinemann about a year and a half ago, proposing the swap.
Since then, the partnership has been slowly moving forward.
The partnership between Heinemann and the township is viewed as a step toward easing the parking shortage downtown. The township has long wanted to build a multilevel parking garage.
Heinemann said he hopes to begin construction in April and have the complex open 12 months after breaking ground. He also said he intends to run a valet parking operation at his business to help ease parking troubles for neighboring businesses while construction is under way.
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One Response
Sound like a nice idea though I suspect it will be a real parking nightmare until completion (with or w/o valet parking).Also was the additional traffic issue as a result of the construction taken into account?Then again i suppose the ends justify the means