Demolition Date For Iconic Bergen County Hotel Is Moved

MAHWAH, NJ — The demolition date for the iconic Sheraton Crossroads hotel in Mahwah has been moved from this coming Sunday to next month, officials said.

The new date will be May 10, likely around 8 a.m., said Mahwah Township Engineer Michael Kelly at a council meeting Monday night.

"They're running behind schedule," he said. "The town has done everything we need to do on our end. There's just a lot of prep work. There's a sequence of events that has to happen. I think they realized toward the end of last week that we need a few more days here...the next availability for the blaster and everything turns out to be Mother's Day weekend. We'll make sure we have plenty of public notice and everyone's aware."

He added, "Everybody wants to get this done right away, but we have to make sure that everything's in order."

At a Township Council meeting on April 7, experts explained the demolition process and said that traffic would be slowed to a stop on Routes 17, Route 202, and Route 287 for a few minutes while the implosion occurs. READ MORE: New Details Revealed For Demolition Of Iconic Bergen County Hotel

Safety And Trespassers

Officials also discussed safety around the demolition at that meeting.

Dynamite will be placed in 1,700 holes in the 24-story structure, experts said. They said armed guards would be there after the dynamite was placed.

Officials were concerned about safety after three teens and a man were arrested for trespassing on the property.

The Mahwah police had said earlier this month that Jason Joyce, 19, from Paramus, Angel Rodriguez, 21, from Paramus, and Cesar Ortiz-Monroy, 18, of Brooklyn were charged with criminal mischief and trespassing at the property. Nicole Davis, 19, of Paramus was charged with trespassing.

Police said that on Friday night, March 4, around 10:30 p.m., they got a 9-1-1 call from the security officer in charge of the Sheraton property, saying there were several people inside the hotel and on the grounds.

"The caller advised that there were several individuals trespassing inside the hotel and on the grounds. The building is currently vacant and being prepared for demolition," police noted.

Police saw a license plate of a vehicle leaving the property.

"The Sheraton Crossroads is set for demolition and the property is currently guarded and surveilled 24 hours a day by private security," said Captain Guido Bussinelli in a release this month. "The property has been fenced off and there are 'no trespassing' signs posted throughout the property. Any individuals located on the property in violation of the trespass warnings, will be charged accordingly."

The 225-room Sheraton Crossroads hotel, seen from Route 17 in Mahwah, closed its doors in December 2023. It was built in 1987.

• READ MORE: New Details Revealed For Demolition Of Iconic Bergen County Hotel
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