Prospect and Fairmont Avenues-seeking information and discussion

[Homer Jones]

Bill Niclas used 261 prospect Avenoe as his address.

[Homer Jones]

I apologize for the typo. PROSPECT AVENUE

[prospectgirl]

Sir, I am realizing and remembering, too, and since I know our home was odd numbered and our address was definitely 253-257,it has suddenly snapped into place that the Niclas family was indeed newcomer who purchased the property to the left of our home, (on right side if one were facing our home). Oh my goodness, I had forgotten the "stroke" that caused in the neighborhood when that modern structure was being built on Prospect. That is most definitely not the family in the stately,old gray house to the right of our property. The Niclases were certainly the newcomers. Do you happen to remember when they built there? The Niclases were a good bit younger than most other of our neighbors, if I rightly recall. Thank you for the extra piece; it was one I had completely forgotten. When a ranch-styled house was mentioned in earlier post,it did not compute. Now I know why!

[prospectgirl]

draft accidentally submitted incomplete and with errors...sorry


...it has suddenly snapped into place that the Niclases were indeed the newcomers who purchased the property on the left of our home..

ALSO ADDED...Do I remember correctly that the family had young children at the time? Do you or does anyone else know?

[just watching]

Editor, Thanks for posting the rest of the photos from the collection.  Photo's #9 and #10 specifically refer to the SE Corner of Prospect and Beech as the site of the apartment house.  So that's the answer.  The petition was opposition to the Beechwood.  I was wrong when I guessed Frontenac. But it's interesting that the house which refused to sign the petition (92 Prospect), was later leveled to build the Frontenac.

The new photos have better examples of cars that appear to be 1920's.  I'm not a car expert, but I don't think I saw anything circa 1940.

Does anyone have more info on when the Beechwood was built.  It has such elaborate architecture that it must be pre-War (WWII). Post-war was more bland and "minimalist", like the red brick "box" at 101 Prospect which is directly across the street. That probably means the Beechwood dates to the 1920's, because not much was built in the 1930's due to the economic climate. The Beechwood was converted to condo's and substantially renovated around 1980 or 1982.  I remember they removed the screens from the porches, and fixed some cement between each brick, and relandscaped it.

By the way, those are great photos of "Sheldon Arms".  That's the building which sadly has suffered such tremendous socioeconomic decline due to lack of parking. Who wants to rent an apartment without a parking spot, and no street parking.  Thanks HUMC, for trashing the Sheldon Arms.  At least it hasn't brought down the rest of the neighborhood, the surrounding area is still good, and only a block north is very upscale.  I think the super-luxury Excelsior buildings are 140 and 170 Prospect, with "The Restaurant" in between.  You can rent a penthouse for only $6000 a month, I'm told.  

[just watching]

Also, I don't think the fire had anything to do with the rezoning of Prospect Ave. This is a very controversial subject, and it's been discussed elsewhere on this site. The official reason was to build Ratables, but back in the 1980's, long-term residents told me that it was done for "other reasons", and I was told exactly what those reasons were.  Let's not discuss them in detail on this string.

All I can say is.....It's not a coincidence that Prospect Ave in Hackensack, Prospect Street in East Orange, and Mt. Prospect Ave in Newark were all "estate homes" that were rezoned for high-rises, and that these high-rise rows were all built on ridgetops at the edge of "less than stellar" neighborhoods, and those neighborhoods were located to their east and did not control the politics of the communities at that time.  There's a pattern here, and that pattern is more than just the names of the streets and that high-rises were coming in. 

People are smart, they can connect the dots.

[just watching]

Just to respond to the email inquiry I received on my last post.  I have no personal knowledge and I have heard no rumors of that house fire, why it happened, and how it affected neighboring property values or the zoning on the street.  Surely it was a devastating loss to those who lived through it.  Rumors are rumors, even when they are fresh. And nothing generates rumors more than fires. Now it's 2008, so the rumors surrounding the house fire are 50 years old.

I know that the zoning was changed in the early 1960's, several years after the 1958 fire.  But that people wanted the zoning to be changed at least as far back as 1960.

I just think that the reason for the zone change was a much bigger issue, affecting the nature, character, and future of the entire city, and not focussed on any one house.  The order of high-rises going up was not connected with that burned house, in fact the Camelot was the LAST high-rise to go up. 

I will note that the FIRST highrise was almost directly across the street from the burned house. The WhiteHall, I believe is 280 Prospect, built 1965. 

Here's the timetable for the others:  Quail Heights (1979) is at 240 Prospect, and Quail Height II (1988 ?) is 260 Prospect.  The Blair House (235 Prospect) I think was 1973, built at the same time as the 3 on Overlook Ave, all four went up simultaneously around 1972.  The Barridge house (NW corner of Golf Place and Prospect) may have been right around the same time (early 1970's), and the Bristol House (same corner, but SW) probably 1974-1975. Nothing built on the entire street, or 1983-1987.  Camelot (245 Prospect) built in 1981-1982, with two levels of underground parking.  Sherbrooke and Pierre I think 1974-1975. Excelsior I in 1989, and Excelsior II around 2000. Excelsior II was also an ugly foundation for 10 years.  Unsure about the highrise at Prospect & Berry, but definately in the 1970's. Quail Heights III (NW corner of Central and Third) in 1999. A 35-story was approved for NW corner of Prospect & Berry, and would have been by far the tallest in the city, but it went bankrupt and was never built. The foundation remained an eyesore for well over 10 years.  Finally it became an office building, say around 1984.  World Plaza I and II around late 1980's, Ritz Plaza completed about 1990. Prospect Tower built 1989, but sat finished and vacant for over 10 years. Then the interiors were completed by a new owner. 2 other identical towers approved for Third Street behind tower number 1, but never built. Instead, the long building behind Prospect Tower (310 Prospect) was built in 1999.  I remember watching that one get built from the balcony of my condo.

I hope these dates helps.  You'd need to map it out, with buildings and dates.

[Editor]

The Historic Meeting Minutes are here: http://www.hackensack.org/content/70/2684/default.aspx

[irons35]

the Sherbrooke was built in 1971. 307 Prospect was built in 1975-76. My uncle was one of the first people to move in there. the Bristol house was built in 68-69.

[just watching]

thanks.

That was such a flurry of construction, especially early-mid 1970s, it's hard to keep track of it.  And it's amazing that it never reached Summit Ave, either by Zoning or Variance.  By 1975, people thought it was guaranteed to happen.  And for a number of years, people weren't maintaining their houses, assuming the next owner would tear it down.

The Sznajderman's were active behind the scenes in trying to get multi-unit on Summit Ave.  They were ferrociously opposed to the whole preservationist movement of the late 1980's that was active on Summit Ave and nearby. I think she even served on the city Planning Board under Mayor Fred Cerbo, who was the arch-enemy of the preservationists.

Around 1988, they even had an add running in the real estate section to sell their house and their neighbor's (NE corner Summit & Central) for high-rise development.  I still have a copy of it.  She lives right behind the Blair House. Suzanne Sznajderman was involved in every city election for the past 30 years, usually as Treasurer of some group of candidates.  If she's still around, watch for her name again for the 2009 election, as Treasurer.  Not too many people know what she wants, if her group gets in.

[suzy_g]

Thanks for all the interesting information on this post.
I'd just like to clarify one point...it's minor, but...the Whitehall - at 280 Prospect was completed in 1961 not in 1965. My parents, sister, and I moved there in June 1961, when they were finishing the lobby and the area around the swimming pool. I loved living there and was very sad when my mother had to sell and move into an assisted living facility.

[just watching]

Funny that this string has become active again.  On Tues May 14th, the Citizens For Change group that Suzanne Sznajermann was an integral part of for so many elections finally won a city election.  All 5 candidates won, and will be sworn in on July 1st.  The group pledges to oppose redevelopment of Summit Ave, for the record.

[Editor]

Sons pay homage to North Jersey dad on centennial of his birth
March 30, 2014    Last updated: Sunday, March 30, 2014, 1:21 AM
By JAY LEVIN
STAFF WRITER

Also gone is 157 Prospect Ave. in Hackensack, where Greg and Barry grew up and where their parents lived from 1950 to 1972. In its place is the Eiffel Tower, a high-rise co-op on an avenue lined with apartment buildings. Thriving in front of the Eiffel Tower is a Japanese maple, 30 feet tall. Greg and Barry happily remembered the tree gracing their front lawn, and Greg harked back to the massive piece of Sheetrock his father used to build him a bedroom in the attic.

For much of the time he resided at 157 Prospect Ave., Mr. Huber worked nearby in Maywood at Stepan Chemical Co. — formerly Maywood Chemical Works. "He was so dedicated to his work that he told me one time he actually hated when the weekend came around," Greg said. 

-See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/sons-pay-homage-to-north-jersey-dad-on-centennial-of-his-birth-1.836441?page=all#sthash.rt1OCf9D.dpuf