New Year 2012: Interview with Mayor McCarthy, Part Two

To start off the New Year, Patch sat down with Mayor Raymond McCarthy, currently serving his eleventh year in office, to discuss the good and the bad from 2011, and what's ahead in 2012 for the township of Bloomfield.

In this two-part interview, McCarthy discusses his own history with Bloomfield, his personal goals, the changes residents can expect in the coming year and a very important upcoming birthday.

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Patch:  What can Bloomfield residents expect in 2012 from the new business developments in town, such as the transit village?

McCarthy:  With the re-building of the town, the entire complexion of the town changes.  It brings what’s a dilapidated area now into a bright, thriving community.  One [conviction] I’ve always, always, always adhered to was, the downtown redevelopment had to have residential and commercial. That’s why Hoboken is thriving, because people come out of their apartments and go into their local stores. 

Patch:  When do you foresee the transit village being completed?

McCarthy:  Probably the end of 2013 is when it will actually be done.

Patch:  What about North Center?

McCarthy:  We got money from the Port Authority to do the study and will be able to use some of it for the improvements as well.  We have capital money.  We plan to There are already restaurants thriving there.

Patch:  When will the improvements begin?

McCarthy: 2012 is when we should be able to start. That’s kind of a no-brainer. 

Patch:  Why?

McCarthy:  It’s money to improve the community and money well spent. 

Patch:  How much will it cost?

McCarthy:  I couldn’t even tell you. I’ll leave that to [Township Administrator] Yoshe [Manale] to decide.

Patch:  Can you hazard a guess?

McCarthy:  Less than a million. Probably more like $300,000. Somewhere in there. I’m the liason for the parking authority.  We’re going to re-do the Pitt Street parking lot.  We’ll start that in the spring so we get it done early.  Then we’ll move along.  Put in some wayfinding.  I love those gooseneck lights.

Patch:  Which areas will be improved in 2012?

Number one, Block 228, Lackawana train station. You have the greatest asset any community can have: the local train station, trains that go right into Manhattan.  Plus there will [eventually] be three restaurants in the redevelopment.

Number two, 225 Belleville Avenue. The old National Starch building.  It’s half knocked-down already.

Number three, the Annie Sez property.  They’re going to take it all down and re-build.  Retail bottom, residential top.

Number four, the senior low-income project.  It will be built above the parking lot near the police station.  We’ll start building this June if we can get approval for the loan.  The funding agent is Goldman Sachs.  They have tax credits, a $1 million low-to-no-interest loan.

We also have the Parkway lofts in the bookbindery building.  We have approvals for 300 condos.  Prism Capital in East Orange and Bloomfield is doing that project but the majority of new construction will be in Bloomfield.

Patch:  2012 will be a busy year.

McCarthy:  I told [newly elected Councilmen] Carlos Bernard and Eli Chalet their timing is impeccable; there’s never been this many re-development projects going on at one time.  The Hartz Mountain building has been sold already, in mid-year it will cease operations.  There will be major retailers there, a sports shop, food store, a home decorating store, a women’s clothing shop.  It will take nine months to a year to finish.

Patch:  Let's talk about the lawsuits that have held up construction in town.

McCarthy:  A lawsuit was filed by a developer, Carey Heller, against the planning board and the Bloomfield Center Urban Developers. He said the traffic study we did was insufficient.  This is nothing more than sour grapes by Carey Heller. The lawsuit is frivolous and I think the judge will see that. It’s going to be heard on January 6. 

Patch:  But construction has been held up for many years because of ongoing litigation. What happened with the previous lawsuit?

McCarthy:  In 2001 the council appointed another developer.  We terminated their contract so they could no longer be the developer, but it was a binding contract so three years ago we had to pay them back $4.9 million. 

Patch:  What’s ahead for the town council this year?

McCarthy: There will be some new fresh ideas. Carlos Bernard will be a great representative for the Third Ward, where we’ve had a number of problems for years.  Eli Chalet brings a wealth of understanding of issues to the council.  He sees what’s happening.  They’re both good people.

Patch:  How will the council differ in 2012 from what it's been in the past?

McCarthy: The council will work together better than it has.  I like it that Eli is a real estate person like I am.  It’s easier when I talk to Eli because he has the same vision. 

Patch:  What is something you look forward to in 2012 in Bloomfield?

McCarthy:  The Bicentennial. Bloomfield’s 200 birthday.  It’s going to be great.

Patch:  What’s the best part of being the Mayor of Bloomfield?

McCarthy:  As tough as times may be, I get a lot of good feelings out of it.  You’re always helping somebody.

"My wife is the head of United Way.  The best part is when people call and ask for my wife: ‘Is Janet there?’  It’s sensational.

“When I first became the mayor there was a fire on Conger Street.  As I got there, the firemen are carrying two young girls out, and the two young girls were dead.  What happened was, the Christmas tree caught on fire.  The two kids died of smoke inhalation, they were 9 and 13.  I said to the mother, ‘is there anything I can do?’  She said, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to bury my kids.’

“I said, ‘let me take care of it, you don’t worry about a thing.’  I made six phone calls and I had $8,000.  She gave me a plaque for Christmas, it drove me to tears.  She still sends me a card every year.  There are a lot of people in town I get to help.

“In 2012 I’ll begin my eleventh year in office.  I got elected in 2001 and started serving in 2002.  I love it.  All my life I wanted to do this.  I love this town.  As soon as I saw it, I said, ‘I’d like to be mayor here someday'."