Site History
The Broad and Front Garage
The site was vacant for an extended period prior to construction, resulting from a large-scale acquisition and clearing of land, as a part of a Federal Urban Renewal project. Much of the land was targeted for the construction of State office buildings. A part of the Urban Renewal project was the development of Mill Hill Park and upgrades to the Assunpink Creek.
The structure was built in 1976 by the City of Trenton during the administration of Mayor Arthur Holland. It was a long-pledged obligation to build a parking facility integral to this Federally funded Urban Renewal program. This project satisfied a local match required for federal funds invested.
Site History
- Five (5)-Story Parking Garage
- 22,000 SF of ground floor retail
- 519 spaces
- Out of operation since 2012
- Community Art
- Built in 1976 during the administration of Mayor Arthur Holland
- Land was cleared as a part of a Federal Urban Renewal project
- Long-pledged obligation to build a parking facility
- Previously vacant
- Design and construction deficiencies required retrofits
- Once closed in 2012, was vandalized and led to damages from flooding
Recent History
The building is a five-story concrete structure built in 1976. The ground level consists of approximately 22,000 square feet of retail/commercial space. The first, second, third, and fourth levels were used for vehicle parking totaling 519 spaces. Design and construction deficiencies became apparent after just five years of operation, necessitating structural retrofits and engineering analyses over the next five-year period. These analyses called for significant additional structural retrofits to address design issues.
The facility has not been in operation since 2012 due to continued capital investment requirements which created significant financial constraints. The facility was prepared for closure and secured from occupancy. During the time of closure, the facility was vandalized, and the theft of valuable metals occurred. In particular, the copper wire and bus structures associated with electrical distribution system were removed. In addition, most of the copper tubing associated with the heating and sprinkler systems was removed.
During the theft, the ground level common building and retail/commercial spaces were severely damaged. Water and fuel oil lines were cut resulting in flooding and condensation damage. Unaware of the theft and vandalism, the building remained in this state, unconditioned and wet, worsening the damage to interior walls, ceilings, and equipment.
Preliminary estimates for demolition of the structure range from $2.5 to $3.5 million.
