[this page is still under development, and have yet to be proof-read. But it’s mostly in place…read on! Thanks!]
The topic of the first Merchants Meeting (April 18, 2016) was retail tenant selection at Clarus Maplewood. Members of the Township Committee and the Maplewood Village Alliance attended, but no representative for JMF Properties (the developer) came (media coverage can be found here and here).
The flip charts below were on display at the meeting. They present a number of decisions that were made during the project approval steps (2015) that help to assure that the building is a financial success. The last two charts provide space to list ideas for retail tenants, and to list economic benefits of the project for the Village. The success of Clarus Maplewood and the benefits to the Village are two parts of the “results”:
GREAT RESULT = BUILDING SUCCESS + ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO VILLAGE
The important discussion regarding tenant selection and contributions to the Village economy overall has not yet occurred. Mayor De Luca said that now the site is sold, the retail tenant selection is up to the building owners. The Village merchants will continue to ask the Township and the developer to be engaged on this until productive dialog takes place.
[Update September 2016: Mayor De Luca has announced an agreement to bring a farm-to-table restuarant to Clarus Maplewood. He reports that the deal was made possible by his personal efforts over a period of several months.]
Click on any slide to see a larger version and/or comment. Right-click on any slide to see an explanation of the slide.
Project Goals Still To Be Worked
Two Types Of Tax Reductions
Town Facilitates Tax Savings
Removal Of Affordable Housing
Showing Of Hardship Not Required
Design Guidelines Changed to Allow Larger Structures
Defective Sewer Remains
Luxury Apartments Add Developer Income, Consume Parking
Retail Tenants With Reduced Contribution To Local Economy
Public Parking Not Provided To Support New Uses
Planning Building AND Village Success
Assessing Tenant Choices
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These charts were prepared with the Maplewood Village Merchants and are a first step towards building a pro-active effort that builds on the learning and missed opportunities at the Post Office site. For more information regarding the site and the project history, check some of these other OHNO60 links:
- On Charm and having A Sense of Place
- On the many views of real estate and having A Vision
- On Tax Income and Lease Income
- On Assessments in Maplewood Village
- ..and on more of the details …if you are insatiable.
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[We survive on community awareness. Please submit your email below for future updates. Also, explore our site for much more info on the history and potential of the site. We hope that these insights will inform future discussion on similar Township issues.]
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This site chronicles the five year public process leading to the construction of Clarus Maplewood. We recently re-arranged it to provide easier access chronologically or by topic area. Check out the changes here.
Oh No 60 