Last November developer James D. Demetrakis proposed purchasing the site of the old Sequa Can Machinery building at 401 Central Ave. in order to build 142 residential units and to build a complex to house the police department, courts and a portion of the fire department.

Negotiations with the borough and Demetrakis for the municipal buildings were in the process. Now with an outdated facility and a need for expansion, a timeline to make a deal is imminent, contend officials. According to town officials, police and courts are burgeoned with work due to the Sports Complex. With a new stadium and Xanadu on the rise, officials predict an increased need in services.

"I don’t know where they are as far as negotiations. They could go on for quite some time," said Detective Chris DeCarlo, president of the East Rutherford Police Benevolent Association. "We can't wait that long. We have outgrown the building that we are in, and in the near future the police department will grow. We are in need of a bigger facility. If he (Demetrakis) doesn’t build the building, we will have to look into other options."

At the time, Demetrakis told the borough he would sell 1.5 acres to the borough for $9.5 million to be used for a brand new police station, courts and a new fire department annex. That’s about $135 per square foot as opposed to the state average of $260 per square foot. Demetrakis would also clean up the site, which is listed as contaminated, and renovate it.

The rest of the 3.5 acres would be used by Demetrakis to build 135 units. Since zoning ordinances only permit 30 units per acre in the overlay zone where the property lies, the plan was renegotiated. Demetrakis proposed building 38.5 units per an acre.

The council split along party lines with three Republicans voting in favor of buying the property from Demetrakis and three Democrats voting against the purchase. Demetrakis pulled out of the deal.

Housing still a possibility

"I haven’t spoken to James Demetrakis in quite some time," said Mayor James Cassella. "I can only go by the borough attorney’s report which states that the developer is in discussions with the owners of the Sequa property. The developer is said to still be interested in continuing the project with the borough, but there have been curveballs relative to the extent and cost of cleanup".

The borough attorney added Demetrakis was concerned that information released by the mayor and council to the public was affecting the negotiations.

Demetrakis could still buy the property and build 142 residential units, at 28.4 units an acre, without including a municipal building, police station and fire department annex in his plans. With suitable property in East Rutherford for a new police station and municipal building running scarce and costing millions, many officials are still optimistic that a deal with the developer for the site is still possible.

Need for increased services

With the advance of Xanadu and other developments in East Rutherford, a timeline for such a deal is now surfacing as the police department weighs up options to find a bigger and more accommodating building to suit the changing times.

The mayor agrees the present police building has run its course as a viable accommodation of all that the police department faces as the landscape of the borough changes dramatically with new developments rising rapidly.

"The present police building can no longer accommodate the requirements for the police department," said Cassella. "In 1963, when the present police department building was built, it filled the needs of the police, but a lot has changed. There's a whole litany of things that have changed, society has changed, there’s development in the town and Xanadu is coming in. So over 40 years later, the building doesn’t accommodate the every changing needs of the borough."

With the potential cost of purchasing a site upon which to build a new police station and municipal building now running into astronomical figures, the Sequa property alone would cost the borough about $25 million if purchased outright. With the Demetrakis deal, however, Cassella sees an ongoing opportunity, a decision upon which he would like to see move forward by the end of this year, but with prudence and consideration for the taxpayer’s dollar.

"I think the police have been very patient. I think there are some frustrations in all of us that we can’t get this thing moving forward," he said. "We don’t have a lot of property in East Rutherford to build what we need. We're trying to find the best deal for the taxpayers. The sooner this is rectified, hopefully by the end of this year, the better."