TOWNSHIP SPENDING $1 MILLION TO BUY WOMEN'S CLUB

PATCH reports the Township Committee Tuesday night voted to approve spending $1 million to buy the Women's Club.

See the story HERE and below.

Maplewood Township will purchase the beleaguered Maplewood Woman's Club property for $1 million -- half its listing price -- according to a statement made by Mayor Vic DeLuca at Tuesday's Township Committee meeting.

The committee voted 5-0 to move ahead with the purchase and to authorize the debt to be included in the capital budget.

DeLuca said the committee began to discuss the possible purchase after learning of the recent collapse of the deal between the club and local philanthropist Tom Kerns, founder of the HK Project.

DeLuca said the township wanted to purchase the property to be used for the public.

The fact that the township could gain sorely needed parking spaces was a huge factor in the committee's decision, said Committeeman Jerry Ryan after the meeting. The move would make a minimum of 60 additional parking spaces available to the township, depending on how the space was configured.

"Paramount in the decision was our strong interest in maintaining the viability of Maplewood Village as a premier shopping area," said DeLuca. "The Woman's Club property will give us the ability to dramatically increase Village parking to service the community's needs."

Is this what we need to spend money on at this time when our taxes are through the roof? $1 million is not chump change. 

But if it brings other positives, such as expanded parking, perhaps worth it.