By DON STINE
Jersey Central Power and Light Company is auctioning off two of its buildings on Main Street and Hume Street in Allenhurst next month.
“We are very happy that action on these buildings is moving forward. They currently serve no purpose and we are looking forward to some revitalization in that area,” Mayor David J. McLaughlin said.
The auction will include a four-story operations and maintenance building at 520-534 Main Street. The masonry, Art Deco-style building, built in 1929, has almost 99,000 square feet of space and is on 1.15 acres of land west of Main Street, by the railroad tracks.
A one-story garage, built in 1925 and which used to house electrical trolleys, is on about 2.19 acres at 312-324 Hume Street, east of Main Street. The existing buildings are expected to be razed and the land has been rezoned for six residential homes.
McLaughlin said that borough officials are pleased that some progress is being made on the buildings, which have been vacant for years. The borough currently stores some of its public works equipment in the Hume Street garages.
“We are hoping the larger building will be repurposed with a mix of commercial and residential use,” he said. “We are waiting to see what happens. We want it to move forward in a timely fashion and want something that fits nicely in the community.”
Allenhurst’s Master Plan calls for adaptively re-using the existing Art Deco-style buildings to enhancing the retail and housing opportunities along Main Street. The JCP&L buildings are the largest properties in the Main Street redevelopment zone
All sealed bids for the auction should be sent to JCP&L, 300 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07962 and to the attention of Michael Espinoza. Bids must be received by 9 a.m. on Nov. 6.
