"Two employees of the owner of 111 First St. in Jersey City were arrested by the Fire Department Arson Unit Friday, but investigators are releasing no information about their arrests or the charges they face, officials said."
"The 111 First Street Arts Center is located near the waterfront in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from the World Trade Center site. Built
in 1860?s, the famous P. Lorillard Tobacco Company, once one of the largest of our nation's tobacco manufacturers, is now the 111 Building, a unique brick architectural treasure.
The 111 First Street Building is owned by NY/NJ property owner Lloyd Goldman. For your information, investors Lloyd Goldman and Joseph Cayre joined with developer Larry Silverstein in buying the World Trade Center 99-year lease for $3.2 billion. "
111 link
The best promise Jersey City ever made to itself and its posterity is about to be betrayed," the e-mail message said with an urgency that has become familiar to supporters and critics. "It's time for all of us to come together to save our cultural resources from greedy 'developers' and thoughtless politicians."
Greed=the assholes next door compromising my landlord's foundation so they can add one more rentable (basement) apartment. Greed is epidemic. I was trying to remember what Dante envisioned for the greedy. It is considered evil, but we tend to forget that.
"The whole building has to come down," Horgan [goldmans lawyer] said. "This only begins to address the most serious safety issues right away.
Arson investigators took the two directly to the Jersey City Police Department's Bureau of Criminal Identification to be processed after arresting them on the charge of hindering an investigation last Friday evening, sources said. Police there would not release the names or mug shots of the men that night, either.
Fire officials have characterized as arson a fire in early November that started in a vacant, boarded-up studio in the southeast corner of the top floor of the five-story, brick-facade building. It was contained to the single unit by a sprinkler system, though all floors below sustained heavy water damage, according to Jersey City Councilman Junior Maldonado.
The "mysterious fire" is a great tool for the aggressive developer. They should teach it in MBA courses, if they don't already.
goldman has more money than god. $100.00 pr day pr tenant is nothing for not providing heat. the real deal is they want to demolish 111 as they already have with 110. gone ! its land-marked so they cant actually just knock it down. they get emergency demolition permits, legally sidestepping the historic preservation commission which has oversight on the building. but with horgan (goldmans lawyer) quoted as stating "The whole building has to come down" their intent is clear. the question is will Healey crumble under the moneyed influence and not stay on top of this. hes already differed to the judge Gallipoli instead of being personally pro-active. yesterdays hearing put additional restrictions on the owner but the tenants are very sceptical and with good reason.
appeal to mayor healey
Two employees of the building's owner, Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, were arrested last Friday and charged with hindering the investigation but they are no longer in custody, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said yesterday.
Both men, who worked in the building, posted bail and were released, DeFazio said.
Goldman's attorney, Daniel Horgan, said the company maintains that because both men speak English as a second language, it appears that there was a miscommunication.
the week in review
12/23
A state Superior Court judge has halted all demolition at 111 First St. in Jersey City and ordered the building's management to pay for the relocation of tenants in 14 units due to yesterday's report from a Jersey City official saying several unstable parts of the building put them at risk.
12/24
The owner of the building, Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, is looking to demolish the former tobacco factory, calling it structurally unsound, and plans to build a high-rise at the site as part of a redevelopment plan.
"Goldman attorney Daniel Horgan responded by reiterating his client's position about the poor condition of the building.
"We have a trial in March and the building is unsafe and we will prove it's unsafe and it will come down," he said. "If it takes a trial to prove that, to get people to admit that, we'll do that."
The Ariel Sharon school of development--"We had to tear it down when it became structurally unstable as a result of our bulldozer slamming into it."
"What we have is three areas of the building in imminent danger of collapse," Horgan said. "But our position hasn't changed. We want to evacuate the building before anyone gets hurt."
"Jersey City officials say they will defend the historic landmark designation and the Powerhouse Arts Redevelopment Plan for the city's Downtown warehouse district, despite claims to the contrary made by artists who live at 111 First St.
On Monday, the building's roughly 70 tenants settled with their landlord, Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, agreeing to vacate the 130-year-old onetime tobacco factory by March 1, in exchange for forgiveness of hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent and a payment of $35,000 in legal fees."
Kiss this building goodbye. once the artists are out it WILL come down. despite the historic designation. goldman (the owner) has only been saying so constantly through his attorney to the press for the past three months. (see above posts) i dont have too much respect for the artists who have allowed themselves to fall in many cases a year behind in their rent. if they were serious they would have put the $ in escrow.
Still flickering
On Nov. 7 at approximately 6 p.m., tenants at the 111 First St. found themselves under siege when a fire broke out in a vacant fifth floor studio.
The fire caused not only fire and water damage to the studio in question, but also caused water damage to other units on the floors below the studio, as well as flooding of the basement area.
Many of the tenants, who had been in an afternoon meeting to discuss a hearing in State Superior Court, already had their suspicions that the fire was started deliberately, in connection with their struggle with the building's owner.
The Jersey City Fire Department Arson Investigations Unit said the fire was started as the result of a gas pipe dislodged from a heater in the fifth floor studio. They said the blaze was accelerated by rags and paper and candles that were placed near the heater. They launched an arson investigation.
The investigation has so far resulted in the arrests of two employees of the building for obstructing the investigation. But no names were released and there have been no further details provided on the investigation because it is ongoing.
Last week, Capt. Lou Legregin of the Jersey City Fire Department Arson Unit, who is supervising the investigation, said that the two building employees were arrested were charged with "hindering apprehension" and that they spent a short time in custody but were released.
He said he was unaware of when they were bailed out and by whom.
Legregin also said that the investigation is still active and that a number of tenants and employees were interviewed.
"Some people came forward on their own to be interviewed, and some people came with attorneys. And then there were some who came with attorneys who did not submit to an interview," said Legregin.
When asked who were the persons who did not cooperate with the investigation, and whether these persons needed to be subpoenaed in order to be interviewed for the investigation, Legregin said that he was instructed by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office not to offer any more details on the investigation. He said that all of the tenants who they wanted to interview cooperated.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
for the hudson reporter 1/16/05
"The Mysterious Fire and You," talk by Lloyd Goldman to BOMA (Building Owners' and Managers Association), Annual Property Development Seminar, Pennsylvania Hotel, 7th Avenue at 32nd, New York, Feb. 15, 2005.
If you were a tenant of the artists' lofts at 111 First St., you had about as good a chance of reaching landlord Lloyd Goldman, a successful real estate developer, as buying the building for one dollar.
So a number of tenants and their acquaintances recently spent over $50 each for a lecture at the Learning Annex so they could quiz the man they blame for having to leave the building (and for the demolition of neighboring building 110 First St.)
Goldman conducted a lecture at the Park Central Hotel in Manhattan on Jan. 27 entitled "How to Be Successful in Real Estate." The Learning Annex is a continuing education program based in New York City that often charges money for celebrity and professional lectures.
(continue)
"While the revised plan met with acclaim from several members of the public who spoke in support of the changes, it came under strong criticism from Daniel Horgan, an attorney for Lloyd Goldman and his company, New Gold Equities, which owns the former tobacco factory at 111 First St., a property within the district."
"10 percent of units in any new residential development [must] be set aside as affordable work/live spaces for artists." What is affordable? What kind of artist wants to live & work in a building full of bankers and stockbrokers? Who decides who gets the lofts? Restrictions on hazardous materials, noise, etc.? It's noble-sounding but basically artists are getting priced out of the area, as inevitably happens.
"Goldman will be in court at the end of March in an effort to get permission from the city to demolish the building on the grounds that it is unsafe. The city is fighting plans to tear down the building, which is in a designated historic district."
Permission sought to demolish 111 First St.
Friday, May 27, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Representatives of Lloyd Goldman, the owner of the former tobacco factory and onetime artists enclave at 111 First St., appeared before the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission this week, urging the panel to allow the owner to demolish the 383,000-square-foot structure on the grounds that it is unsafe.
Daniel Horgan, an attorney for New Gold Equities, said recent studies conducted by Frederick Porcello, an engineer for the owner, show that the foundations are made of rotted wood and are in imminent danger of collapse.
"We have grave concerns that the building could collapse without warning," Horgan said. "To continue to ignore this is something New Gold can't continue to do. No one is going to save this building."
The roughly 70 artists who rented studios at 111 First St. settled an ongoing dispute with their landlord when they agreed to vacate their studios by March 1 in exchange for forgiveness of roughly eight months of back rent and a $35,000 payment to tenants' attorneys.
Goldman has filed several lawsuits against the city, challenging both the validity of the Powerhouse Arts Redevelopment Plan - which mandates that 10 percent of units in the area be set aside for affordable live/work space - and the building's historic designation.
Several of the former 111 First St. artists turned out for the meeting, hoping to lend support to the building that was once the focus of so many hopes and dreams.
"One-Eleven was a magical place and the building still appears to be salvageable," said Paul Sullivan, a former 111 First St. tenant. "I think with the right owner and the right atmosphere at City Hall that the building could be a great building again."
But Horgan disagreed, estimating the cost to repair the 19th century building at more than $71 million. He also disputed the historical aspect of the structure, saying whatever benefit was once there is now gone.
Horgan continued to blame city officials for failing to attack the problem. Two weeks ago, Horgan said he sent a report along with a letter asking building code officials to close sidewalks and streets around the building because of unsafe conditions.
To date, Horgan said, he has not gotten a response from city officials.
David Donnelly - a special assistant to Mayor Jerramiah Healy - who has been handling issues surrounding 111 First St. did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The city will present its case to the board on June 13.
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Judge nixes 3 in First St. decisions
Monday, June 13, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A Hudson County Superior Court judge removed several players involved in the ongoing 111 First St. saga yesterday, citing potential conflicts of interest.
Judge Maurice J. Gallipoli ruled that the Jersey City corporation counsel, an engineer retained by the city and the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission should be disqualified from the proceedings taking place before the Historic Preservation Commission.
Last month, Daniel Horgan, an attorney for New Gold Equities, the owner of the former tobacco factory and one-time artists enclave, appeared before the commission, arguing that the 19th-century building should be demolished on the grounds that it is unsafe.
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But last week, Horgan asked the court to dismiss Historic Preservation Commission chairman Stephen Gucciardo after discovering he'd toured the site with three city officials.
City officials have previously said that they don't agree with New Gold's assessment that the building is too unstable to be saved.
Gucciardo said he accepted an invitation to tour the site without realizing how it might be misconstrued.
"In an effort to educate myself about the application I was hearing, I accepted an invitation to see the structural condition of the building firsthand, and I was unaware of any conflict of interest that might arise when I did so," Gucciardo said.
Gallipoli agreed, ruling that Gucciardo must recuse himself from the commission's hearing - the fourth of the commission's 11 members to be recused for various reasons.
In addition, the commission's city-hired engineer, Bill Halkiadakis, and attorney, Carmine Scarpa, should be removed from the case, Gallipoli ruled.
Corporation counsel Bill Matsikoudis said the commission needs to decide whether to hire its own engineer to provide expert advice. New Gold, Matsikoudis said, was ordered to put $5,000 in escrow to pay for such services.
Matsikoudis said the city has tried to work with New Gold to ensure a fair outcome.
"Mr. Horgan stated that it is clear that the building is in imminent danger of collapse and that it creates a safety hazard, however the engineering expert that the city has retained simply does not agree with the conclusion," said Matsikoudis, noting that Horgan rebuffed an offer to split the cost of hiring a third-party engineer.
The next hearing before the commission will take place on June 27
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Judge nixes 3 in First St. decisions
Monday, June 13, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A Hudson County Superior Court judge removed several players involved in the ongoing 111 First St. saga yesterday, citing potential conflicts of interest.
Judge Maurice J. Gallipoli ruled that the Jersey City corporation counsel, an engineer retained by the city and the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission should be disqualified from the proceedings taking place before the Historic Preservation Commission.
Last month, Daniel Horgan, an attorney for New Gold Equities, the owner of the former tobacco factory and one-time artists enclave, appeared before the commission, arguing that the 19th-century building should be demolished on the grounds that it is unsafe.
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But last week, Horgan asked the court to dismiss Historic Preservation Commission chairman Stephen Gucciardo after discovering he'd toured the site with three city officials.
City officials have previously said that they don't agree with New Gold's assessment that the building is too unstable to be saved.
Gucciardo said he accepted an invitation to tour the site without realizing how it might be misconstrued.
"In an effort to educate myself about the application I was hearing, I accepted an invitation to see the structural condition of the building firsthand, and I was unaware of any conflict of interest that might arise when I did so," Gucciardo said.
Gallipoli agreed, ruling that Gucciardo must recuse himself from the commission's hearing - the fourth of the commission's 11 members to be recused for various reasons.
In addition, the commission's city-hired engineer, Bill Halkiadakis, and attorney, Carmine Scarpa, should be removed from the case, Gallipoli ruled.
Corporation counsel Bill Matsikoudis said the commission needs to decide whether to hire its own engineer to provide expert advice. New Gold, Matsikoudis said, was ordered to put $5,000 in escrow to pay for such services.
Matsikoudis said the city has tried to work with New Gold to ensure a fair outcome.
"Mr. Horgan stated that it is clear that the building is in imminent danger of collapse and that it creates a safety hazard, however the engineering expert that the city has retained simply does not agree with the conclusion," said Matsikoudis, noting that Horgan rebuffed an offer to split the cost of hiring a third-party engineer.
The next hearing before the commission will take place on June 27
he 111 First St. building is still standing - at least for another day.
A special meeting of the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission on Monday did not settle the question of whether the more than 130-year-old Downtown Jersey City building will be demolished.
The former P. Lorillard Tobacco factory had been converted to impromptu working and living spaces by enterprising artists in the late 1980s and became one of Jersey City's premier arts spaces. The tenants were forced to vacate the building on March 1, ending a year of intense struggle between the tenants and the owner. The conflict began as an issue of rent hikes, and eventually the owner evicted the tenants so the building could be demolished.
Lawyers for the building's owner, New Gold Equities, a private partnership of investors led by New York real estate mogul Lloyd Goldman, who also owns 110 First St., have argued on several occasions that the building must be demolished because it is in danger of collapsing at any time due to the deterioration of its infrastructure.
That argument was posed again at Monday's special meeting, as it had been at a previous meeting of the commission, on May 23. The owner's attorney, as well as others speaking on behalf of the owner, presented the case for why the historic commission should approve applications for demolition. The commission is to decide upon approving demolition at a meeting scheduled for July 18.
Another reason given for demolition was that there would be considerable financial loss incurred by the owner if money was invested in restoring the building for habitable spaces.
Also at the meeting on Monday, the city's lawyers argued why the 383,000-square-foot, eight-building complex should not be demolished, and the public commented on the owner's applications for demolition.
Undermined and undermanned
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New Gold Equities had to appear before the Historic Preservation Commission Monday because 111 First St. is located within the Warehouse Historic District, an area spanning several blocks that was designated by the City Council in October with historic landmark status. This status protects buildings in the district from any alteration unless approved by the commission.
For New Gold, that, along with opposition from the city's corporation counsel, is an obstacle it has to surmount.
Monday's special meeting showed that the legal team for the owner did their best to overcome adversity. That's because Daniel Horgan, attorney for New Gold Equities, went in front of State Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli on June 10 to request that Historic Preservation Commission Chairman Stephen Gucciardo, attorney for the city Carmine Scarpa, and engineer Bill Halkiadakis be barred from taking part in any future Historic Preservation Commission meetings concerning 111 First St., citing conflicts of interest. Gallipoli agreed and all three were removed.
Before the meeting, Horgan commented on Gallipoli's decision to bar. "They were in conflict, they were representing the [Historic Preservation Commission] and they were going to present a case before the board. And they were our adversary and they shouldn't do that," said Horgan. "And the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission was also meeting with witnesses outside of the meeting and had done this improperly."
Horgan also mentioned that he asked commission member Anthony Sandcamp to step down from serving on the commission during the special meeting, which Sandcamp did.
Sandcamp, a cabinetmaker, later said that he had done some cabinet-making work in a studio at 111 First St. five years ago but was not a tenant. However, he did not want his presence to be seen as a conflict of interest.
But attorney Eric Bernstein, who was present at this special meeting, was retained as legal representation for the city whenever the commission would be meeting to discuss the 111 First St. issue.
Before the end of the meeting, the commission approved the hiring of Margaret Newman, a historic preservation consultant, and the Cranford-based PMK Group as the engineering consultants to the city on 111 First St.
A barrage of questions
The special meeting started with six members sitting on the commission chaired by member Theodore Brunson.
Horgan questioned the city's acting construction official, Ray Meyer, on his decision not to issue a permit to allow the demolition of 111 First St. "The basis of that decision has been the fact that there have been inconclusive engineering reports presented to me and the experts, that require the demolition of eight buildings known as 111 First St.," said Meyer.
Horgan then questioned Meyer on the findings of Helena Ruman, a local architect who also studied the structure of 111 First St. Meyer said Ruman concluded in a report on the matter of demolition that "it would require more investigation and more details to basically ascertain the exact conditions of the buildings of 111 First St."
Bernstein objected to Horgan's questioning of Meyer, saying that the questions were not relevant to the owner seeking applications for demolition. But Horgan pointed out that Meyer was not an engineering expert and depended on the reports of engineers to decide not to permit demolition of the building.
Engineer Frederick Porcello offered testimony to support demolition. He presented slides of pictures he took of the wooden beams in the building that showed how much erosion had taken place, making the case for potential building collapse.
Porcello also said that he did a number of tests on the exterior of the building, measuring the cracks and how much the building has shifted.
"When you take the preponderance of information that we collected and analyze it in a reasonable and objective way, there is no other way of coming out with the same conclusion that we came out with - that this building is in severe and dire straits and has a high risk of collapse," Porcello said.
Horgan wanted the commission members present to ask questions, but commission member Mariano Molina said that he would like more time to study the engineering reports before he posed any questions and decided to approve the application for demolition.
Then it was the public's turn to question, as attendees queried the people who appeared on the owner's behalf.
Steve Davison, a Mercer Street resident, wanted to know when the owner decided on demolition of the building.
Horgan answered it was last August, when the city did an inspection that showed the structure was deteriorating and went to court in September to request approval of demolition.
Lawrence Alexander, a Third Street resident, asked if the building's structural problems were a result of the owner's negligence over the past few years. The suggestion was refuted by Porcello, who said that the problems go back a number of years, possibly before the owner took possession of the building in 1991.
Resident Gerry Bakirtjy asked about Porcello's experience in studying buildings such as 111 First St. Porcello said that he has 30 years of experience in his profession and that he has never seen a building with the substantial damage that 111 First St. has sustained.
After the meeting, Elizabeth Onorato, who spent more than a decade in 111 First St. before vacating earlier this year, said that the owner's representatives were just putting out "more lies" and were "making [her] blood boil." During the meeting, Onorato submitted several photos to the commission that she took of the building, which gave evidence of the owner's negligence in causing the building's structure to diminish over the years.
"They're just exaggerating information so that it works to their endgame, which is to demolish."
©The Hudson Reporter 2005
Jersey City officials announced yesterday they are poised to slap the owners of the former artists' enclave with $77 million in fines for fire code violations on Monday in hopes of making the structure habitable again.
Not to be out million-ed, the owner of the now-vacant downtown building - New Gold Equities - filed a $100 million civil rights lawsuit in federal court yesterday, charging various city agencies and officials with depriving it of the right to rip down the dilapidated structure and rebuild as it chooses.
Efforts to tear down the 19th century former tobacco factory at 111 First St. were halted at Tuesday night's Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission.
In a unanimous decision, the five commissioners disagreed with the owner's expert witnesses, who argued that the building - once a haven for dozens of artists, but vacant after the tenants agreed to leave in a settlement four months ago - is in imminent danger of collapse and too costly to rehabilitate.
The decision comes days after the owner- Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities - filed a civil rights lawsuit against Jersey City, the historic preservation commission and others. The suit accuses city officials of misusing power to unfairly deny New Gold Equities meaningful ownership rights to its property at 110 and 111 First St.
Man, don't you know those bastards are sending their minions in there every night with chisels to "compromise the structure."
"The commission voted 5-0 on Tuesday to deny New Gold both certificates. While this decision closes a chapter in the ongoing battle between the city and New Gold over the building staying intact, the issue is far from over.
"
going, going... Bay Street, sidewalk shut after 111 First inspection
Saturday, August 06, 2005
The street and sidewalks along Bay Street between Washington and Warren streets were closed this week after building code officials noticed unstable facets of the beleaguered 130-year-old former tobacco factory at 111 First St.
Daniel Horgan, an attorney for Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, the owner of the building, said fire and building code officials inspected the vacant brick structure last week and found one building leaning on the other.
Horgan said officials agreed to close the street Tuesday only under threat of court action.
Sidewalks surrounding the building - which takes up one full square block - are also closed to pedestrians.
The latest development comes after the Jersey City Historical Preservation Commission refused to grant the owner's request to tear down the building on the grounds that it is unsafe and too expensive to repair.
Horgan said he plans to file a lawsuit in Superior Court next week, challenging the commission's decision.
BONNIE FRIEDMAN
Time for that mysterious explosion.
The owner of 111 First St., a former enclave for artists in Jersey City, is scheduled to appeal denial of a demolition permit at the Wednesday meeting of the city's Construction Board of Appeals, at 10 a.m. in the 14th floor conference room at 30 Montgomery St.
Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities is looking to reverse the denial, made by a construction official based on the building's historic landmark status. Gold contends the structure is in imminent danger of collapse and is too costly to rehabilitate.
111 First owner is a step closer to demolition; historic status KO'd
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A New York City developer who has been fighting for more than a year to demolish a former industrial building in Downtown Jersey City won a major victory last week when Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli vacated a city ordinance granting historic status to 16 buildings in the Warehouse District.
Gallipoli's ruling leaves in doubt the fate of 111 First St. - a onetime artist enclave that had served as the centerpiece of the Powerhouse Arts District - unless the city files an appeal.
The historic preservation ordinance, adopted by the City Council last year, stated buildings in the district would be protected "from demolition or alteration without review by the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission and the city's historic preservation specialist."
In July, five commissioners rejected an application from building owner Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities to demolish 111 First St. The commission didn't agree with Goldman's claim that the 130-year-old brick building is in imminent danger of collapse and would be too costly to repair.
Gallipoli vacated the city ordinance, saying several of the commissioners were serving expired terms and thus were not legal members of the board, said Victor Herlinsky, an attorney for the city.
However, according to city records, the nine members and two alternates on the historic preservation commission are all within their current terms.
Mayor Jerramiah Healy said through his spokeswoman that he is consulting with the legal department before deciding whether to appeal Gallipoli's ruling.
But many of the building's former tenants - who have continued to stay involved with the building since moving out in March - think it's the beginning of the end for the former P. Lorillard Tobacco Co. warehouse.
"It's such a shame to see it go," said Paul Sullivan, a sculptor and former tenant. "But it's more of a loss for the city. The artists will figure out other places to work."
Several other lawsuits have yet to be heard by the courts. The parties will meet in federal court Monday to hear Goldman's claim that the city is in violation of his constitutional rights.
these will be the last two posts on this sorry affair. the developer basically out distanced the city with law suits 111 First deal is approved artists angry
Friday, June 30, 2006
By EARL MORGAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
The Jersey City City Council approved a settlement agreement with the owners of 110-111 First St., but it did nothing to satisfy the artists who once lived at 111 First St. and are now are vowing to fight the owner, accusing him of violating the city's arts district ordinance.
The owner of the buildings, New Gold Equities, will build at least one and possibly two high-rise residential towers through the middle of 111 First St. One of the towers could be 40 stories high.
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The agreement, approved 5-2 by the council Wednesday night, also allows the developer to build another high-rise across the street at 110 First St.
According to the terms of the settlement, in return for the city dropping all litigation against it, the owner, New Gold Equities, agrees to provide 120 units for artists and gallery and retail space at the site.
New Gold Equities will also contribute $1 million to the city for the "advancement of the arts."
Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis said the city will divide that money between the Jersey City Museum and the Loew's Jersey Theater in Journal Square.
The city had charged that the developer allowed 111 First St. to deteriorate and threatened to fine New Gold Equities principal Lloyd Goldman $75 million for fire-code violations. But Goldman sued the city for $100 million, saying it was denying his rights to develop his property.
State Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli ordered the parties into mediation, weakening the city's position by throwing out its historic designation ordinance protecting the warehouse properties.
Council members Steve Fulop and Viola Richardson voted against the agreement Wednesday night. Before casting her vote, Richardson made a reference to the threatened $75 million in fines.
"Are we getting $70 million in affordable housing?" she asked.
Some of the artists asked that the vote be delayed because the public had no opportunity to review the settlement, but the council decided to go ahead with a vote.
Some of the artists, who were out in force, were afforded an opportunity to put their statements on the record and for nearly an hour supporters of the arts district spoke, many in opposition to the settlement.
Vega defends deal to allow towers to rise at 111 First
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
By STEVE CHAMBERS
NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
After a fierce struggle with a billionaire developer, a colony of artists was forced to move last year from a historic warehouse they turned into a warren of studios near the waterfront in booming Jersey City.
Now, following a year of tense negotiation and legal wrangling, the city is poised to sign an agreement with developer Lloyd Goldman that will allow him to build at least one and possibly two high-rise residential towers through the middle of 111 First St. One of the towers could be 40 stories high.
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The agreement - which is slated to be discussed at tomorrow night's City Council meeting - also will allow the developer to build another high-rise next door, on the site of another warehouse he tore down.
Supporters of the agreement say it has provisions that will preserve the historic nature of the district while resolving costly and risky litigation, but opposition is already bubbling among the ranks of historic preservationists, artists and new district residents.
Council President Mariano Vega defended the settlement as the best deal for the city, something that will end expensive litigation and pave the way for a special piece of architecture on the site.
"We have worked feverishly to protect the city's interests and accomplish the values we set out for the district, while not giving away the store," he said. "We have a reasonable settlement."
Vega said the city forced concessions from Goldman that will protect the district and be good for the city. He said the developer will donate $1 million to the arts, set aside 117 of perhaps 1,000 residential units for lower-income residents and preserve a facade that will maintain the hip streetscape the city was attempting to create. He said a major gallery and performance space will be included in the project.
Discussion with neutral engineering consultants hired by the city supported Goldman's contention that the building was unsafe, Vega said. He said it's likely the building will be torn down and the facade re-created with the original bricks.
Goldman argued it could cost tens of millions of dollars to renovate the building, and district restrictions meant the project would be a money loser. He threatened to mothball the building and wait out the administration.
Instead, Vega said, Goldman has agreed to hire a world-class architect who will work to make the skyscraper project something special.
"The mayor wanted a world class architect, and that means much more money has to be spent by the developer," Vega said. "We want something that will help define the zone and certainly allows it to be distinguished from any other high rise."
Community activists are livid, however, that Goldman will win and, in their mind, the Powerhouse Arts District will be corrupted.
"It's a drag to see that someone with so much money and power can basically impose himself on an entire city," said Jeff Baker, a former resident of 111 First St. who restores and builds historic doors. "Jersey City is such a great city, but it's growing so fast that I see a great void in arts and entertainment."
the jc list tear-down thread. pictures.
I guess you could say it was smart to follow something this heinous with giving JC its signature building, thus taking attention away from how it all came about.
drunk jc cops caught on video tape part of 111 1st st saga It seems to me that the drunken cops episode assumes its proper significance when viewed in the context the fight to save the studio complex at 111 First Street and utimately the PAD itself, and the extent to which Lloyd Goldman and his minions were willing to go to get what Goldman wanted.
What Lloyd wanted was to build a 22-storey hi-rise on that site. To accomplish this he would have had to overturn all the city ordinances and historic designations that were part of the original plan to redevelop the old warehouse district as the Powerhouse Arts District (PAD). That plan was worked out by the City and the Urban Land Institute and was supported by every successive mayor except Jerramiah T. Heally.
Goldman’s lawyers filed a barrage of lawsuits against the city, also targetting various other civic organiztions and individuals, attacking WALDO, and attacking the various historic landmark designations assigned to 111 First Street and to the entire PAD. His argument was that the State was interfering with his Constitutional right to turn as big a profit as possible on his speculative real estate investment, and that he had a Constitutional right to do whatever the hell he wanted to with his property. No shit. Keep in mind that the properties in question were not at the time nor have they ever been zoned for purely residential use. Ever.
So you’ve got cops on video drunk as a skunk, toting guns and badges, in front of the building they were hired to guard.
You’ve got Lloyd Goldman, billionaire landlord who hired the cops, who were just a small part of his agenda which was to evict the Arts Center, demolish 111 First Street and replace it with a 22-storey luxury hi-rise, apparently by whatever means necessary.
There’s the coincidental jump in the crime rate on those premises, including car bashings and arsons.
There’s the campaign of harassment by police and BLDG Management Co. personnel that included the dismantling of the heating system in winter and the typical civil rights violations, including forcibly entering residences without cause and forcibly seizing and ejecting members of the press.
The lackadaisical response of the Mayor, Internal Affairs, and the local press are a matter (just barely) of public record. So is the Mayor’s sudden flip-flopand withdrawal of city support for the Arts Center almost as soon as he was elected.
The array of lawsuits noted above were eventually resolved in the now infamous “settlement” between Goldman and the City, forcing Goldman to give up his plan to build a 22-storey luxury condo in the PAD and instead build two luxury condos of 40-plus storeys in the PAD. The other details of the deal are equally ludicrous but not worth the space to detail here. I’m sure there’s someone out there who will fill us in eventually.
The settlement was made public just a couple of days before it was summarily approved over the jeers an catcalls of the crowd of citizens who filled the Council chamber to protest. Other legal professionals at the hearing described Goldman’s lawsuits as unwinnable and frivolous, tantamount to a very expensive bluff, and urged the council to lay down the law to the rogue developer.
No politician in his right mind, however, wants a billionaire developer for an enemy when he could have him for a friend.
Parts of Lee Perry’s commentary along with the Japanese documentary footage give us only a partial picture of an invaluable and unique cultural resource Jersey City lost forever so Goldman could build his hi-rises.
Besides presiding over a municipal bureaucracy that is periodically in the news for all the wrong reasons, and besides periodically conducting himself in ways that are an ongoing embarassment to Jersey City, Jerramiah T. Healy has arguably done more damage to the arts community in Jersey City than any other mayor –ever. He and his cronies should be held accountable at least for that.
And yeah—stop pimping out the police force to people who use them dishonorably and reduce them to the level of thugs. The good cops deserve better than that and so do we.
|
"The 111 First Street Arts Center is located near the waterfront in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from the World Trade Center site. Built
in 1860?s, the famous P. Lorillard Tobacco Company, once one of the largest of our nation's tobacco manufacturers, is now the 111 Building, a unique brick architectural treasure.
The 111 First Street Building is owned by NY/NJ property owner Lloyd Goldman. For your information, investors Lloyd Goldman and Joseph Cayre joined with developer Larry Silverstein in buying the World Trade Center 99-year lease for $3.2 billion. "
111 link
- bill 12-15-2004 1:05 am
The best promise Jersey City ever made to itself and its posterity is about to be betrayed," the e-mail message said with an urgency that has become familiar to supporters and critics. "It's time for all of us to come together to save our cultural resources from greedy 'developers' and thoughtless politicians."
- bill 12-15-2004 9:03 pm [add a comment]
Greed=the assholes next door compromising my landlord's foundation so they can add one more rentable (basement) apartment. Greed is epidemic. I was trying to remember what Dante envisioned for the greedy. It is considered evil, but we tend to forget that.
- tom moody 12-15-2004 9:30 pm [add a comment]
"The whole building has to come down," Horgan [goldmans lawyer] said. "This only begins to address the most serious safety issues right away.
- bill 12-16-2004 5:54 pm [add a comment]
Arson investigators took the two directly to the Jersey City Police Department's Bureau of Criminal Identification to be processed after arresting them on the charge of hindering an investigation last Friday evening, sources said. Police there would not release the names or mug shots of the men that night, either.
Fire officials have characterized as arson a fire in early November that started in a vacant, boarded-up studio in the southeast corner of the top floor of the five-story, brick-facade building. It was contained to the single unit by a sprinkler system, though all floors below sustained heavy water damage, according to Jersey City Councilman Junior Maldonado.
- bill 12-16-2004 5:56 pm [add a comment]
The "mysterious fire" is a great tool for the aggressive developer. They should teach it in MBA courses, if they don't already.
- tom moody 12-16-2004 8:32 pm [add a comment]
goldman has more money than god. $100.00 pr day pr tenant is nothing for not providing heat. the real deal is they want to demolish 111 as they already have with 110. gone ! its land-marked so they cant actually just knock it down. they get emergency demolition permits, legally sidestepping the historic preservation commission which has oversight on the building. but with horgan (goldmans lawyer) quoted as stating "The whole building has to come down" their intent is clear. the question is will Healey crumble under the moneyed influence and not stay on top of this. hes already differed to the judge Gallipoli instead of being personally pro-active. yesterdays hearing put additional restrictions on the owner but the tenants are very sceptical and with good reason.
- bill 12-16-2004 10:06 pm [add a comment]
appeal to mayor healey
- bill 12-17-2004 3:57 pm [add a comment]
Two employees of the building's owner, Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, were arrested last Friday and charged with hindering the investigation but they are no longer in custody, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said yesterday.
Both men, who worked in the building, posted bail and were released, DeFazio said.
Goldman's attorney, Daniel Horgan, said the company maintains that because both men speak English as a second language, it appears that there was a miscommunication.
- bill 12-19-2004 1:23 am [add a comment]
the week in review
- bill 12-19-2004 6:48 pm [add a comment]
12/23
A state Superior Court judge has halted all demolition at 111 First St. in Jersey City and ordered the building's management to pay for the relocation of tenants in 14 units due to yesterday's report from a Jersey City official saying several unstable parts of the building put them at risk.
- bill 12-28-2004 5:40 pm [add a comment]
12/24
The owner of the building, Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, is looking to demolish the former tobacco factory, calling it structurally unsound, and plans to build a high-rise at the site as part of a redevelopment plan.
"Goldman attorney Daniel Horgan responded by reiterating his client's position about the poor condition of the building.
"We have a trial in March and the building is unsafe and we will prove it's unsafe and it will come down," he said. "If it takes a trial to prove that, to get people to admit that, we'll do that."
- bill 12-28-2004 5:42 pm [add a comment]
The Ariel Sharon school of development--"We had to tear it down when it became structurally unstable as a result of our bulldozer slamming into it."
- tom moody 12-28-2004 5:51 pm [add a comment]
"What we have is three areas of the building in imminent danger of collapse," Horgan said. "But our position hasn't changed. We want to evacuate the building before anyone gets hurt."
- bill 12-31-2004 5:39 pm [add a comment]
"Jersey City officials say they will defend the historic landmark designation and the Powerhouse Arts Redevelopment Plan for the city's Downtown warehouse district, despite claims to the contrary made by artists who live at 111 First St.
On Monday, the building's roughly 70 tenants settled with their landlord, Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities, agreeing to vacate the 130-year-old onetime tobacco factory by March 1, in exchange for forgiveness of hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent and a payment of $35,000 in legal fees."
Kiss this building goodbye. once the artists are out it WILL come down. despite the historic designation. goldman (the owner) has only been saying so constantly through his attorney to the press for the past three months. (see above posts) i dont have too much respect for the artists who have allowed themselves to fall in many cases a year behind in their rent. if they were serious they would have put the $ in escrow.
- bill 1-08-2005 12:05 am [add a comment]
Still flickering
On Nov. 7 at approximately 6 p.m., tenants at the 111 First St. found themselves under siege when a fire broke out in a vacant fifth floor studio.
The fire caused not only fire and water damage to the studio in question, but also caused water damage to other units on the floors below the studio, as well as flooding of the basement area.
Many of the tenants, who had been in an afternoon meeting to discuss a hearing in State Superior Court, already had their suspicions that the fire was started deliberately, in connection with their struggle with the building's owner.
The Jersey City Fire Department Arson Investigations Unit said the fire was started as the result of a gas pipe dislodged from a heater in the fifth floor studio. They said the blaze was accelerated by rags and paper and candles that were placed near the heater. They launched an arson investigation.
The investigation has so far resulted in the arrests of two employees of the building for obstructing the investigation. But no names were released and there have been no further details provided on the investigation because it is ongoing.
Last week, Capt. Lou Legregin of the Jersey City Fire Department Arson Unit, who is supervising the investigation, said that the two building employees were arrested were charged with "hindering apprehension" and that they spent a short time in custody but were released.
He said he was unaware of when they were bailed out and by whom.
Legregin also said that the investigation is still active and that a number of tenants and employees were interviewed.
"Some people came forward on their own to be interviewed, and some people came with attorneys. And then there were some who came with attorneys who did not submit to an interview," said Legregin.
When asked who were the persons who did not cooperate with the investigation, and whether these persons needed to be subpoenaed in order to be interviewed for the investigation, Legregin said that he was instructed by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office not to offer any more details on the investigation. He said that all of the tenants who they wanted to interview cooperated.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
for the hudson reporter 1/16/05
- bill 1-20-2005 3:13 am [add a comment]
"The Mysterious Fire and You," talk by Lloyd Goldman to BOMA (Building Owners' and Managers Association), Annual Property Development Seminar, Pennsylvania Hotel, 7th Avenue at 32nd, New York, Feb. 15, 2005.
- tom moody 1-20-2005 3:33 am [add a comment]
If you were a tenant of the artists' lofts at 111 First St., you had about as good a chance of reaching landlord Lloyd Goldman, a successful real estate developer, as buying the building for one dollar.
So a number of tenants and their acquaintances recently spent over $50 each for a lecture at the Learning Annex so they could quiz the man they blame for having to leave the building (and for the demolition of neighboring building 110 First St.)
Goldman conducted a lecture at the Park Central Hotel in Manhattan on Jan. 27 entitled "How to Be Successful in Real Estate." The Learning Annex is a continuing education program based in New York City that often charges money for celebrity and professional lectures.
(continue)
- bill 2-07-2005 1:29 am [add a comment]
"While the revised plan met with acclaim from several members of the public who spoke in support of the changes, it came under strong criticism from Daniel Horgan, an attorney for Lloyd Goldman and his company, New Gold Equities, which owns the former tobacco factory at 111 First St., a property within the district."
- bill 2-26-2005 7:41 pm [add a comment]
"10 percent of units in any new residential development [must] be set aside as affordable work/live spaces for artists." What is affordable? What kind of artist wants to live & work in a building full of bankers and stockbrokers? Who decides who gets the lofts? Restrictions on hazardous materials, noise, etc.? It's noble-sounding but basically artists are getting priced out of the area, as inevitably happens.
- tom moody 2-26-2005 8:24 pm [add a comment]
"Goldman will be in court at the end of March in an effort to get permission from the city to demolish the building on the grounds that it is unsafe. The city is fighting plans to tear down the building, which is in a designated historic district."
- bill 3-05-2005 9:29 pm [add a comment]
Permission sought to demolish 111 First St.
Friday, May 27, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Representatives of Lloyd Goldman, the owner of the former tobacco factory and onetime artists enclave at 111 First St., appeared before the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission this week, urging the panel to allow the owner to demolish the 383,000-square-foot structure on the grounds that it is unsafe.
Daniel Horgan, an attorney for New Gold Equities, said recent studies conducted by Frederick Porcello, an engineer for the owner, show that the foundations are made of rotted wood and are in imminent danger of collapse.
"We have grave concerns that the building could collapse without warning," Horgan said. "To continue to ignore this is something New Gold can't continue to do. No one is going to save this building."
The roughly 70 artists who rented studios at 111 First St. settled an ongoing dispute with their landlord when they agreed to vacate their studios by March 1 in exchange for forgiveness of roughly eight months of back rent and a $35,000 payment to tenants' attorneys.
Goldman has filed several lawsuits against the city, challenging both the validity of the Powerhouse Arts Redevelopment Plan - which mandates that 10 percent of units in the area be set aside for affordable live/work space - and the building's historic designation.
Several of the former 111 First St. artists turned out for the meeting, hoping to lend support to the building that was once the focus of so many hopes and dreams.
"One-Eleven was a magical place and the building still appears to be salvageable," said Paul Sullivan, a former 111 First St. tenant. "I think with the right owner and the right atmosphere at City Hall that the building could be a great building again."
But Horgan disagreed, estimating the cost to repair the 19th century building at more than $71 million. He also disputed the historical aspect of the structure, saying whatever benefit was once there is now gone.
Horgan continued to blame city officials for failing to attack the problem. Two weeks ago, Horgan said he sent a report along with a letter asking building code officials to close sidewalks and streets around the building because of unsafe conditions.
To date, Horgan said, he has not gotten a response from city officials.
David Donnelly - a special assistant to Mayor Jerramiah Healy - who has been handling issues surrounding 111 First St. did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The city will present its case to the board on June 13.
- bill 5-31-2005 8:38 pm [add a comment]
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Judge nixes 3 in First St. decisions
Monday, June 13, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A Hudson County Superior Court judge removed several players involved in the ongoing 111 First St. saga yesterday, citing potential conflicts of interest.
Judge Maurice J. Gallipoli ruled that the Jersey City corporation counsel, an engineer retained by the city and the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission should be disqualified from the proceedings taking place before the Historic Preservation Commission.
Last month, Daniel Horgan, an attorney for New Gold Equities, the owner of the former tobacco factory and one-time artists enclave, appeared before the commission, arguing that the 19th-century building should be demolished on the grounds that it is unsafe.
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But last week, Horgan asked the court to dismiss Historic Preservation Commission chairman Stephen Gucciardo after discovering he'd toured the site with three city officials.
City officials have previously said that they don't agree with New Gold's assessment that the building is too unstable to be saved.
Gucciardo said he accepted an invitation to tour the site without realizing how it might be misconstrued.
"In an effort to educate myself about the application I was hearing, I accepted an invitation to see the structural condition of the building firsthand, and I was unaware of any conflict of interest that might arise when I did so," Gucciardo said.
Gallipoli agreed, ruling that Gucciardo must recuse himself from the commission's hearing - the fourth of the commission's 11 members to be recused for various reasons.
In addition, the commission's city-hired engineer, Bill Halkiadakis, and attorney, Carmine Scarpa, should be removed from the case, Gallipoli ruled.
Corporation counsel Bill Matsikoudis said the commission needs to decide whether to hire its own engineer to provide expert advice. New Gold, Matsikoudis said, was ordered to put $5,000 in escrow to pay for such services.
Matsikoudis said the city has tried to work with New Gold to ensure a fair outcome.
"Mr. Horgan stated that it is clear that the building is in imminent danger of collapse and that it creates a safety hazard, however the engineering expert that the city has retained simply does not agree with the conclusion," said Matsikoudis, noting that Horgan rebuffed an offer to split the cost of hiring a third-party engineer.
The next hearing before the commission will take place on June 27
- bill 6-14-2005 6:04 pm [add a comment]
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Judge nixes 3 in First St. decisions
Monday, June 13, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A Hudson County Superior Court judge removed several players involved in the ongoing 111 First St. saga yesterday, citing potential conflicts of interest.
Judge Maurice J. Gallipoli ruled that the Jersey City corporation counsel, an engineer retained by the city and the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission should be disqualified from the proceedings taking place before the Historic Preservation Commission.
Last month, Daniel Horgan, an attorney for New Gold Equities, the owner of the former tobacco factory and one-time artists enclave, appeared before the commission, arguing that the 19th-century building should be demolished on the grounds that it is unsafe.
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But last week, Horgan asked the court to dismiss Historic Preservation Commission chairman Stephen Gucciardo after discovering he'd toured the site with three city officials.
City officials have previously said that they don't agree with New Gold's assessment that the building is too unstable to be saved.
Gucciardo said he accepted an invitation to tour the site without realizing how it might be misconstrued.
"In an effort to educate myself about the application I was hearing, I accepted an invitation to see the structural condition of the building firsthand, and I was unaware of any conflict of interest that might arise when I did so," Gucciardo said.
Gallipoli agreed, ruling that Gucciardo must recuse himself from the commission's hearing - the fourth of the commission's 11 members to be recused for various reasons.
In addition, the commission's city-hired engineer, Bill Halkiadakis, and attorney, Carmine Scarpa, should be removed from the case, Gallipoli ruled.
Corporation counsel Bill Matsikoudis said the commission needs to decide whether to hire its own engineer to provide expert advice. New Gold, Matsikoudis said, was ordered to put $5,000 in escrow to pay for such services.
Matsikoudis said the city has tried to work with New Gold to ensure a fair outcome.
"Mr. Horgan stated that it is clear that the building is in imminent danger of collapse and that it creates a safety hazard, however the engineering expert that the city has retained simply does not agree with the conclusion," said Matsikoudis, noting that Horgan rebuffed an offer to split the cost of hiring a third-party engineer.
The next hearing before the commission will take place on June 27
- bill 6-14-2005 6:04 pm [add a comment]
he 111 First St. building is still standing - at least for another day.
A special meeting of the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission on Monday did not settle the question of whether the more than 130-year-old Downtown Jersey City building will be demolished.
The former P. Lorillard Tobacco factory had been converted to impromptu working and living spaces by enterprising artists in the late 1980s and became one of Jersey City's premier arts spaces. The tenants were forced to vacate the building on March 1, ending a year of intense struggle between the tenants and the owner. The conflict began as an issue of rent hikes, and eventually the owner evicted the tenants so the building could be demolished.
Lawyers for the building's owner, New Gold Equities, a private partnership of investors led by New York real estate mogul Lloyd Goldman, who also owns 110 First St., have argued on several occasions that the building must be demolished because it is in danger of collapsing at any time due to the deterioration of its infrastructure.
That argument was posed again at Monday's special meeting, as it had been at a previous meeting of the commission, on May 23. The owner's attorney, as well as others speaking on behalf of the owner, presented the case for why the historic commission should approve applications for demolition. The commission is to decide upon approving demolition at a meeting scheduled for July 18.
Another reason given for demolition was that there would be considerable financial loss incurred by the owner if money was invested in restoring the building for habitable spaces.
Also at the meeting on Monday, the city's lawyers argued why the 383,000-square-foot, eight-building complex should not be demolished, and the public commented on the owner's applications for demolition.
Undermined and undermanned
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New Gold Equities had to appear before the Historic Preservation Commission Monday because 111 First St. is located within the Warehouse Historic District, an area spanning several blocks that was designated by the City Council in October with historic landmark status. This status protects buildings in the district from any alteration unless approved by the commission.
For New Gold, that, along with opposition from the city's corporation counsel, is an obstacle it has to surmount.
Monday's special meeting showed that the legal team for the owner did their best to overcome adversity. That's because Daniel Horgan, attorney for New Gold Equities, went in front of State Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli on June 10 to request that Historic Preservation Commission Chairman Stephen Gucciardo, attorney for the city Carmine Scarpa, and engineer Bill Halkiadakis be barred from taking part in any future Historic Preservation Commission meetings concerning 111 First St., citing conflicts of interest. Gallipoli agreed and all three were removed.
Before the meeting, Horgan commented on Gallipoli's decision to bar. "They were in conflict, they were representing the [Historic Preservation Commission] and they were going to present a case before the board. And they were our adversary and they shouldn't do that," said Horgan. "And the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission was also meeting with witnesses outside of the meeting and had done this improperly."
Horgan also mentioned that he asked commission member Anthony Sandcamp to step down from serving on the commission during the special meeting, which Sandcamp did.
Sandcamp, a cabinetmaker, later said that he had done some cabinet-making work in a studio at 111 First St. five years ago but was not a tenant. However, he did not want his presence to be seen as a conflict of interest.
But attorney Eric Bernstein, who was present at this special meeting, was retained as legal representation for the city whenever the commission would be meeting to discuss the 111 First St. issue.
Before the end of the meeting, the commission approved the hiring of Margaret Newman, a historic preservation consultant, and the Cranford-based PMK Group as the engineering consultants to the city on 111 First St.
A barrage of questions
The special meeting started with six members sitting on the commission chaired by member Theodore Brunson.
Horgan questioned the city's acting construction official, Ray Meyer, on his decision not to issue a permit to allow the demolition of 111 First St. "The basis of that decision has been the fact that there have been inconclusive engineering reports presented to me and the experts, that require the demolition of eight buildings known as 111 First St.," said Meyer.
Horgan then questioned Meyer on the findings of Helena Ruman, a local architect who also studied the structure of 111 First St. Meyer said Ruman concluded in a report on the matter of demolition that "it would require more investigation and more details to basically ascertain the exact conditions of the buildings of 111 First St."
Bernstein objected to Horgan's questioning of Meyer, saying that the questions were not relevant to the owner seeking applications for demolition. But Horgan pointed out that Meyer was not an engineering expert and depended on the reports of engineers to decide not to permit demolition of the building.
Engineer Frederick Porcello offered testimony to support demolition. He presented slides of pictures he took of the wooden beams in the building that showed how much erosion had taken place, making the case for potential building collapse.
Porcello also said that he did a number of tests on the exterior of the building, measuring the cracks and how much the building has shifted.
"When you take the preponderance of information that we collected and analyze it in a reasonable and objective way, there is no other way of coming out with the same conclusion that we came out with - that this building is in severe and dire straits and has a high risk of collapse," Porcello said.
Horgan wanted the commission members present to ask questions, but commission member Mariano Molina said that he would like more time to study the engineering reports before he posed any questions and decided to approve the application for demolition.
Then it was the public's turn to question, as attendees queried the people who appeared on the owner's behalf.
Steve Davison, a Mercer Street resident, wanted to know when the owner decided on demolition of the building.
Horgan answered it was last August, when the city did an inspection that showed the structure was deteriorating and went to court in September to request approval of demolition.
Lawrence Alexander, a Third Street resident, asked if the building's structural problems were a result of the owner's negligence over the past few years. The suggestion was refuted by Porcello, who said that the problems go back a number of years, possibly before the owner took possession of the building in 1991.
Resident Gerry Bakirtjy asked about Porcello's experience in studying buildings such as 111 First St. Porcello said that he has 30 years of experience in his profession and that he has never seen a building with the substantial damage that 111 First St. has sustained.
After the meeting, Elizabeth Onorato, who spent more than a decade in 111 First St. before vacating earlier this year, said that the owner's representatives were just putting out "more lies" and were "making [her] blood boil." During the meeting, Onorato submitted several photos to the commission that she took of the building, which gave evidence of the owner's negligence in causing the building's structure to diminish over the years.
"They're just exaggerating information so that it works to their endgame, which is to demolish."
©The Hudson Reporter 2005
- bill 7-05-2005 2:09 am [add a comment]
- bill 7-17-2005 7:20 pm [add a comment]
- bill 7-22-2005 8:55 pm [add a comment]
Man, don't you know those bastards are sending their minions in there every night with chisels to "compromise the structure."
- tom moody 7-22-2005 10:14 pm [add a comment]
"The commission voted 5-0 on Tuesday to deny New Gold both certificates. While this decision closes a chapter in the ongoing battle between the city and New Gold over the building staying intact, the issue is far from over.
"
- bill 7-27-2005 5:56 pm [add a comment]
going, going...
- bill 8-08-2005 4:41 pm [add a comment]
Time for that mysterious explosion.
- tom moody 8-08-2005 5:15 pm [add a comment]
- bill 10-09-2005 11:39 pm [add a comment]
111 First owner is a step closer to demolition; historic status KO'd
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
By BONNIE FRIEDMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A New York City developer who has been fighting for more than a year to demolish a former industrial building in Downtown Jersey City won a major victory last week when Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli vacated a city ordinance granting historic status to 16 buildings in the Warehouse District.
Gallipoli's ruling leaves in doubt the fate of 111 First St. - a onetime artist enclave that had served as the centerpiece of the Powerhouse Arts District - unless the city files an appeal.
The historic preservation ordinance, adopted by the City Council last year, stated buildings in the district would be protected "from demolition or alteration without review by the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission and the city's historic preservation specialist."
In July, five commissioners rejected an application from building owner Lloyd Goldman of New Gold Equities to demolish 111 First St. The commission didn't agree with Goldman's claim that the 130-year-old brick building is in imminent danger of collapse and would be too costly to repair.
Gallipoli vacated the city ordinance, saying several of the commissioners were serving expired terms and thus were not legal members of the board, said Victor Herlinsky, an attorney for the city.
However, according to city records, the nine members and two alternates on the historic preservation commission are all within their current terms.
Mayor Jerramiah Healy said through his spokeswoman that he is consulting with the legal department before deciding whether to appeal Gallipoli's ruling.
But many of the building's former tenants - who have continued to stay involved with the building since moving out in March - think it's the beginning of the end for the former P. Lorillard Tobacco Co. warehouse.
"It's such a shame to see it go," said Paul Sullivan, a sculptor and former tenant. "But it's more of a loss for the city. The artists will figure out other places to work."
Several other lawsuits have yet to be heard by the courts. The parties will meet in federal court Monday to hear Goldman's claim that the city is in violation of his constitutional rights.
- bill 11-24-2005 6:43 pm [add a comment]
these will be the last two posts on this sorry affair. the developer basically out distanced the city with law suits
- bill 7-02-2006 10:13 pm [add a comment]
- bill 7-02-2006 10:20 pm [add a comment]
the jc list tear-down thread. pictures.
- bill 2-28-2007 6:00 pm [add a comment]
I guess you could say it was smart to follow something this heinous with giving JC its signature building, thus taking attention away from how it all came about.
- tom moody 2-28-2007 6:36 pm [add a comment]
drunk jc cops caught on video tape part of 111 1st st saga
- bill 11-07-2007 11:36 pm [add a comment]