Montclair Releases New Plan For Lackawanna Plaza (See The Changes)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A final decision is getting closer on one of Montclair’s most-debated real estate plans in decades: Lackawanna Plaza.

The Montclair Town Council is scheduled to introduce a revamped plan for the Lackawanna Plaza project at their meeting on Aug. 15.

The plan has seen several changes since it was first put forward. See the new version online here (released July 28). The previous version of the plan and other supporting documents can be found on the town’s website.

The original proposal would have allowed the redevelopment of the existing Lackawanna Station shopping center and nearby properties, with a mix of land uses and the addition of new buildings, including a new supermarket and housing. A total of five new buildings would have been permitted, ranging from five to six stories in height. A maximum number of 375 residential dwelling units would have been permitted within the plan area, including affordable housing.

Montclair Councilman Peter Yacobellis recently shared a list of some of the “key changes” in the new proposal. They include:

• 3 Buildings Reduced to Five Stories
• 375 Units Reduced to 300 Units
• Additional Stepbacks and Setbacks
• Density pulled back from neighboring residential

According to Yacobellis, the plan will keep the following aspects:

• 20% Traditional and 10% Workforce Affordable Housing with preference for Montclair residents
• Important Historic Preservation Elements
• Three Open Space Public Plazas
• Stormwater Retention Pools
• Public Art and Native Vegetation
• Bike Lanes and Enhanced Accessibility
• Traffic and Circulation Infrastructure Improvements

Here are the plans for the five allowed buildings, according to the new proposal:

West Side

• Building A: office and supermarket
• Building B: residential, office and retail
• Building C: office and retail

East Side

• Building D: residential and retail
• Building E: residential and retail

On July 31, the town held a public forum on the revised plan via an online webinar. Watch the video below.

LACKAWANNA PLAZA: A BRIEF BACKGROUND

The debate over the fate of Lackawanna Plaza has been in the works for more than eight years, and the project has seen several stumbling blocks along the way.

The Montclair Town Council voted to designate the site as an “area in need of redevelopment” in 2015.

For years, The Hampshire Companies and Pinnacle Companies tried to breathe new life into the site, which is home to a historic former train terminal. After getting approval from the Montclair Planning Board in 2019, the companies announced that a 216,772-square-foot, mixed-use project was in the works, including residential, retail and office spaces.

The project was expected to kick off later that year. But it hit a major roadblock when a group of local advocates launched a lawsuit to stop development, seeking to reverse the previous decision from the planning board and nix the project's site approval – sending everything back to the drawing board.

• See related article: Montclair Group's Legal Battle Over Lackawanna Plaza Continues
• See related article: Lackawanna Plaza Plans Hit Big Speed Bump In Montclair

In February 2021, a new owner, Montclair-based BDP Holdings, announced that it has acquired the 7.6-acre development site. Read More: New Owner, Old Concerns For Lackawanna Plaza In Montclair

A new version of the plan was advanced by the town council in December 2022. Read More: No Lack Of Votes For Lackawanna; Montclair Council Advances Plan

Since then, a debate over the fate of Lackawanna has been raging among the town’s residents. Two opposing petitions were launched to support and oppose the old version of the plan.

Some local residents have insisted that there are key historic elements to the area that need to be preserved; the site was recently put on a list of the “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey,” for example. Other concerns about the current plan have included height and density, increased demand on local infrastructure and services, and potential traffic impacts.

But other Montclair residents have supported the overall plan, saying that a supermarket is desperately needed to replace the Pathmark that closed in 2015, leaving residents of the town’s 4th Ward without a grocery store. Some supporters have also pointed to the affordable housing that’s included – another much-needed commodity in the township – as well as the potential tax revenue the project could bring to the township.

• See Related: Average Property Tax Bill In Montclair Is Growing, Latest Data Shows

Developers went back to the drawing board after the old version of the proposal met resistance from the Montclair Planning Board, which said it was in conflict with the town’s master plan, a document that guides local development.

The Montclair Historic Preservation Commission also had issues with the original plan, expressing concern about the demolition/disturbance of historically designated structures at the site, as well as the footprint of the buildings, which its members said were “out of scale” with the surrounding neighborhood.

• See Related: Lackawanna Debate Roars In Montclair; Planning Board, HPC Weigh In

While the debate over Lackawanna Plaza has seen polarized viewpoints, there have also been people calling for better dialogue between neighbors on the issue, as seen during a roundtable discussion hosted by Radio Free Montclair.

Three public town hall forums were held about the plan last year, which included questions from local residents. See the Nov. 29 meeting video here, see the Nov. 10 meeting video here, see the Nov. 3 meeting video here.

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