MAYOR SEEKS TO BACK-UP WOMEN'S CLUB PURCHASE

Looks like Mayor Vic De Luca is trying to back-up the recent deal struck to by the TC to buy the Women's Club for $1 million, and perhaps make it a parking lot or, at the least, a money pit.

The Township today posted his statement from the Feb. 19 meeting where the deal was announced.

Good background on the issue HERE.

Oddly, he declined to respond to our request for more reasons for making the purchase.

See his statement HERE and below:

Statement by Mayor Victor DeLuca on Acquiring the Womans Club Property

This is Mayor DeLuca's Statement read by him at the February 19, 2013 Township Committee Meeting.

We were saddened last month when we heard that Tom Kerns was no longer going to purchase the Woman's Club. Tom and the Woman crafted an agreement that we thought was positive for Maplewood Village and the entire community.

At the Township Committee's February 5th meeting, we asked ourselves if we should buy the property for public use. We agreed to explore a purchase and I am happy to announce that we have reached a deal with the Woman's Club to purchase the property for $1 million.

Paramount in the decision was our strong interest in maintaining the viability of Maplewood Village as a premier shopping area. The Woman's Club property will give us the ability to dramatically increase Village parking to service the community's needs. By making no changes to the site, we would add nearly 60 parking spaces, about equal to the number of spots along the entire length of Maplewood Avenue or the spots in Ricalton parking lot. Different configurations of the space will increase the amount of parking that could be available in the future.

We also are aware if the building's importance in this community. Who has not been to a function in the Woman's Club? Sadly time has not been a friend to the building. Our intention is to evaluate what it would take to keep the building standing. We will explore a partnership with non-profit groups and the private sector to see what is possible. We understand the value of that building and will be guided by its history as we move forward.

We are buying the property for half its listing price. Least anyone think that it was our negotiating skills, let me assure you that it was not. The reason why we were able to reach this deal is due to the dedication and commitment to Maplewood by the members of the Woman's Club. They could have made more on the sale to a developer but instead want to work with the Township to create a community benefit. Acquiring this property is a game changer for Maplewood Village. We thank the members of the Woman's Club for their decision to sell the property to the Township.