Michael Cohen, Executive Vice President & Special Counsel to Donald Trump, has been in discussions with North Arlington borough attorney Anthony D’Elia about scrapping plans for a 1,625-unit housing project on Porete Avenue in favor of a retail/commercial development, according to Cohen.
North Arlington would need to change the zoning of the Porete Avenue Redevelopment area and Cohen would then terminate a lawsuit filed against the borough in 2006. The lawsuit claimed the borough failed to take Porete Avenue properties through eminent domain to make way for the housing development, dubbed Arlington Valley, as per the contract between the borough and the Trump’s predecessor, Cherokee Porete, an affiliate of EnCap Golf Holdings.
Cohen said the fate of the $2 million Cherokee Porete was obligated to pay the borough, but placed into escrow due to the litigation, would be negotiated. Cohen said the Trump Organization would ask for the money back.
North Arlington said the idea of changing Porete Avenue to a retail/commercial development is premature and the talks had not progressed very far. "There’s no deal until the redevelopment agreement is ripped up, the lawsuit is dropped and the $2 million is released from escrow," said Thom Ammirato, a spokesman for the borough.
Ending the redeveloper's agreement, dropping the lawsuit and returning $2 million to the borough are the three conditions that must be met before any serious talks can take place, according to council president Steve Tanelli.
"I'm very comfortable going to trial. As far as I'm concerned, North Arlington is in the driver's seat right now," he said.
Mayor Peter Massa has continually objected to housing as part of Arlington Valley, but has been open to other types of development, such as retail/commercial uses. However, the borough remains opposed to using eminent domain to uproot Porete Avenue businesses and replace them with a new development.
Hypthetically, the only way a commercial/retail development could happen would be if Trump purchased Porete Avenue properties outright. The street is currently lined with warehouses and light industrial businesses and the borough is opposed to using eminent domain for development.
"The days of EnCap and developers controlling what's going on in the borough are over," Tanelli added.
