Politics & Government
Montclair to Pursue Purchase of Old Social Security Building
Town seeks to demolish building to make way for high-end housing, retail and office space.
Montclair will pursue purchasing and demolishing the former Social Security Administration Building on Bloomfield Avenue to make way for high-end shops, offices and apartments, Mayor Robert Jackson said at Tuesday night's town council meeting.
The development comes after a nonprofit, which intended to build housing for homeless veterans on the site, withdrew its application with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week, Jackson told The Montclair Times.
The mayor's vision is that proceeds from sale of the property will be used to create housing for the homeless, including veterans, on other sites around town.
Jackson will be sitting with the Government Services Association, which manages the federal property located at 396 Bloomfield Ave., in the coming days.
"I think it’s a win-win-win for everybody involved," Jackson said. "I would think hopefully we’ll have meetings this month with the feds to try to come up with a number."
The purchase would be made at no cost to taxpayers using part of the funds paid by another developer for a project further west on Bloomfield Avenue.The Social Security building was closed in March 2012 and was later determined to be “surplus” property by the federal government.
The mayor said he has been in contact with Domas Transitional Housing, a division of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Homes of Montclair Ecumenical Corp., or HOMECorp, which provides safe, affordable, permanent homes for those in need. He said while the organizations have agreed to work together, no concrete plans have been made as of yet.
"I think it’s good news for Montclair and good news, too, for those who are trying to help homeless in general," Jackson said.
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