Old Brick Ridgewood Bus Stop Demolished: Here's What's Next

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A 60-year-old brick bus shelter in Ridgewood came tumbling down on Wednesday after a long battle.

"This morning," wrote Town Administrator Keith Kazmark, "the long closed bus station at Van Neste Square was removed by our Signal Division. It will temporarily be replaced with a traditional bus shelter, as the Village Council works with the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to select a permanent structure."

The Record noted that more than eighth years ago, an engineer judged the structure to be structurally unsound, and town officials planned to demolish it. But the Historic Preservation Commission said it was an example of mid-century modern architecture.

Engineers said it was beyond repair, however. A modern glass enclosure will eventually be built at the stop, the story noted.

The shelter was designed by Bergen County-based architect Robert J. Gilchrist, who also designed the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah. His 1981 New York Times profile said he had designed at least 700 buildings by then, the majority of them in North Jersey.