What Should Replace the Central Garage?

Ridgewood officials are in the early process to explore whether maintaining a repair garage on the fringes of the downtown is a wise investment.

Spurred because of a $40,000 purchase order for a hydraulic lift, the village will be examining whether they should find another property in town to perform the work or even outsource the service entirely.

According to Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, the Central Garage blights the Chestnut Street neighborhood, one that is seeing a potential development boom.

"The property could be in a new downtown development area," the deputy mayor remarked at a recent council meeting.

Steps from the garage, a developer sees a 62-unit residential housing complex – Chestnut Village – improving the area.

There are also plans to add a mixed-use complex at the former site of Ken Smith Ford. The developers of that project are eyeing a five-story building with 114 units and an adjoining 10,000 square foot retail building.

The neighborhood already has the YMCA and West Bergen Mental Health, along with some industrial uses like repair shops.

The garage, according to Pucciarelli, is in badly need of repairs, some structural.

If the building is deleterious to the neighborhood and could also provide the village some revenue in a sale while the services are relocated, it's worthwhile to see other options, he reasoned.

The council will likely be discussing a facilities plan, including what to do with the garage, sometime over the winter.

What do you think? Would you like to see another housing development? Something different? Keep the Central Garage where it is?

Add your thoughts in the comments below.