A new restaurant and a new beer garden are coming to South Orange in 2017, and we now know their names.
Landmark Developers recently announced that it intends to turn the ground floor of historic South Orange Village Hall into “Village Hall Restaurant” as well as an indoor-outdoor beer garden called “The Pump House.” Additionally, Landmark plans to operate a banquet hall and meeting rooms on the second floor.
Landmark received unanimous approval from the South Orange Village Board of Trustees for financial and redevelopment agreements for the sale of historic Village Hall in November.
Landmark will pay $1.2 million for the property. Total costs for the construction, liquor license, purchase, landscaping, contingency, etc. will bring the project’s costs to about $6.5 million for Landmark.
For its trouble, Landmark will benefit from a 20-year payment in lieu of taxes — or PILOT — on the improvements to the property. Landmark will pay full land taxes on the property from the closing date.
According to a timeline presented to the Board of Trustees in November, the new facility should open in mid-2017.
In the release, Landmark Principal Frank Cretella singled out Village President Sheena Collum for her “vision” and for being the “driving force to making this a reality.” Cretella cited Village Hall’s proximity to the South Orange Train Station as a major attraction and also stressed the historic aspects of the building, naming its architects, and listed several other Landmark projects centered around the redevelopment of historic properties.
Read the press release from Landmark here:
South Orange, NJ, 12/15/15 — Landmark Developers, a team of experts who specialize restoring and rehabbing iconic structures by accentuating their architectural features and bringing them back to life, announces the approval by the South Orange Board of Trustees to purchase Village Hall located at 101 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079. Plans for the ground floor include Village Hall Restaurant and an indoor-outdoor beer garden called the Pump House. Additionally, there are plans for a banquet hall and meeting rooms on the second floor.
Principal, Frank Cretella, made the announcement. “We are drawn to buildings with this historic value and beauty. Village Hall is an excellent addition to our portfolio of historic properties, not only for the iconic structure itself but also because of the location which is steps from the South Orange Train Station. This will add vibrancy to the downtown corridor and offer the community a new local destination,” said Cretella. “This agreement would not have happened without the dedication of Village President & Mayor Sheena Collum. Her vision in identifying the potential to rehabilitate and revitalize this building was the driving force to making this a reality.”
Constructed in 1894, but open since 1895, the architects of this widely recognized building were Rossiter and Wright, the latter of whom was a resident of South Orange. Previous tenants have included the South Orange Fire & Police Departments as well as the Municipal Court & offices. Village Hall is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.
For nearly 30 years, Landmark Developers has planned, built, leased, and managed attractive, successful restaurants, event spaces, hotels, residential buildings, and commercial space throughout NJ, NY, and PA. A few Landmark properties include The Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station, NJ, Logan Inn in New Hope, PA, and Hotel du Village in New Hope, PA. With a commitment to revitalizing underutilized urban spaces with a primary focus on mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly communities with existing, varied transportation options, Landmark Developers strives to create restaurants that become focal gathering places in their neighborhoods, places that don’t require a special occasion to gather family and friends together.
