Hackensack delays sale of redevelopment siteJune 03. 2014 2:02PM
By Joshua Burd
Hackensack city officials will delay the sale of a parking lot slated for redevelopment as they restructure the bidding process and resolve a historic claim that the state has on the property.
The city had planned to put the 4.3-acre lot up for sale to developers this month, with an eye toward a project that would include multifamily and commercial space. But officials recently discovered the state has a “tidelands claim” on the property near River Street, stemming from its proximity to the Hackensack River, according to a news release.
Brian Nelson, Hackensack’s city attorney, said that at one time the parking lot was probably marshland with small streams that have since been filled in, and that such claims are not uncommon. But before Hackensack can sell the property, it must pay the state to withdraw its claim, the news release said.
That could take several months and involve reviewing old maps and deeds, but will result in the city have unencumbered ownership and the ability to sell the lot, the news release said.
The so-called Lot C site is along Midtown Bridge Street and only steps from the river, sitting at the western edge of Hackensack's 160-acre rehabilitation district. City officials in 2012 adopted a sweeping plan to revitalize its ailing downtown, following decades of decline around assets that are normally attractive to developers.
The discovery came as city planners were completing their due diligence on the lot ahead of a sale, the news release said. They said the claim was only discovered now because the property has changed hands only once in the past 100 years, when it was sold to the municipal government by the city parking authority.
Now, the city also plans to alter the sale procedure from a simple bid process to one that requires prospective developers to submit a proposal that would outline the developer’s plan for the lot.
Hackensack officials said the amended process would give the city greater control over how the site is developed. Planners envision a site with 240 to 440 housing units in two buildings, 25,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the first floor and an outdoor public plaza or park.
