My City of Ruins*

With the 2009 Budget now behind us (resulting in a 3.9% municipal tax increase), we are now beginning conversations around the 2010 Capital Budget.

First on the Agenda - discussing whether to allocate funding for the rehabilitation of Village Hall. Anyone who has driven past the building is struck by its unique character and incredibly interesting architecture. However, anyone who has observed it up close has seen the rampant deterioration of the exterior and the years of neglected maintenance throughout the interior. The time is long overdue to do something.

Over the past year or so, HMR Architects have been working on a "Programmatic Analysis for the Interior Renovation and Rehabilitation" of Village Hall. According to a draft, "This report analyzes the feasibility of improved accommodation of specific user groups by quantifying their needs and developing realistic design schemes which could be accomplished through a substantial renovation of the existing building. This report also addresses the physical limitations of the existing envelope and structure."

Last night, during the Budget Workshop, they shared some initial assessments and estimates for the rehabilitation of the building, including an approximate cost of nearly $4M (although I can only imagine that with the unknowns involved until construction begins, the risk of significant cost overruns is huge). They also estimate that construction of a NEW building of a comparable size could cost anywhere from $3.6M-$7.2M.

While I am well aware that Village Hall has become one of many prominent symbols of South Orange, I can't help but wonder if it makes sense to rehabilitate an old building or whether it makes more sense to construct a new modern building on another site in town. Clearly, there are rational, as well as emotional arguments on both sides of the equation. Certainly, the long-overdue rehabilitation of the Firehouse, which took SEVEN years, looms large as a poster-child for everything that CAN go wrong with such a complicated project. There are also the logistics of temporarily relocating all Village Hall staff and services to some other location for up to two years if/when the building is rehabilitated. Of course, the other side of the story is about the history, charm and character of the building. However, the only option NOT available is to continue the current neglect and further deterioration of the building.

This is a very complex issue that will have a significant impact on the residents of the Village for several years, both financially, as well as logistically. Therefore, I really want to hear what YOU think. Post a comment to this blog, or send me an email to mgoldberg@southorange.org. I expect you will be hearing much more about this in the coming months.

* Blog title is based on a Bruce Springsteen song of the same name, which speaks of the "rising up" of Asbury Park. It is not intended to suggest anything negative about the Village.

Across the Border

Just returned from our annual family Summer vacation- this year's destination was Montreal and Quebec City - and wanted to share some impressions.

We were scheduled to leave NJ on August 24, and the week before we were leaving, I discovered my wife's passport was expired! After calling the Passport office, I was told that I would have to make an appointment in NYC, but the next available appointment was August 28. Alternatively, I could go to the office in Norwalk, CT on August 25. I was preparing to delay our trip, when my wife called the Border & Customs office and learned that an expired passport is sufficient. I was a little skeptical, but decided to take the chance which turned out to be the right choice and we had no problems at the border in either direction.

Once we arrived in Montreal, we had a few items planned, but mostly we were just there to explore the city. The highlights of Montreal included: jet boating on the St. Lawrence River, a family bike ride along the Lachine Canal, visiting the Olympic Stadium/Biodome and hiking to the top of Mont Royal.

All in all, we enjoyed Montreal and were surprised what a large city it actually was. We did a ton of walking and even got to brush off my years of French to try to speak to the locals.

From there, we drove another 3 hours and arrived in Quebec City for a few days. We didn't have much planned other than wondering around the old city and fortunately the weather generally cooperated. One day, we decided to explore outside the city and drove up to Canyon St.Anne which is a huge waterfall with a terrifying pedestrian bridge across the gorge. From there, we drove around Ile D'Orleans which is a tranquil little island with quaint little towns and amazing natural scenery.

It was a nice trip with a mix of city, country, old, new, culture, adventure and relaxation which is always the right combination for a successful family vacation. Now it's time to start thinking about where to go NEXT year! :)