June 18th, 2015
To the Village President and Board of Trustees:
Following a discussion at our monthly board meeting on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 the board of the South Orange Village Center Alliance (SOVCA) is enthusiastic about the proposed adaptive re-use of historic Village Hall in the heart of our Village Center.
If given the choice between returning Village administration and government to the building and allowing a private entity to complete the restoration and operate a quality lodging or dining facility at the site, we choose the latter. Both potential purchasers have experience in restoring historic structures and have shown that they can run viable, profitable businesses.
One of our goals is to further connect the two sides of South Orange Avenue where they meet at Valley Street/Scotland Road. A commercial adaptive re-use will have much greater economic impact and influence on the Village Center’s vitality than Village government, which effectively ceases to operate after 5pm on weekdays and has almost no activity on weekends.
We do want to stress caution about ensuring that the Village retains either ownership or control of the two parking lots connected to the Village Hall building. In addition, our existing parking challenges might only be exacerbated by the private use and any private organization would need to provide a viable plan for parking their customers as well as getting them in and out of the lots in an efficient and safe manner. In addition, we encourage a clause stating that the Village maintain the right to approve any sale of the business or building in the future and that the building retain its historic facade and character in perpetuity.
The interest of two esteemed and well-respected organizations speaks volumes about how far South Orange has come in its mission of being the most sought-after walkable downtown core in the region. We hope that the BOT will make the smart decision of giving Village Hall new life and we stand ready to help in any way we can.
Regards,
Matt Glass
Chair, SOVCA Board of Directors
