Clark's New Town Center Plans Move Forward

Clark's plan to create a new town center on the 28-acre former U.S. Gypsum paper plant may be moving forward sooner than later, as a developer is in the process of submitting a proposal for the site.

Clark Business Administrator John Laezza told Patch that a developer has come forward with a plan that is currently being vetted by Township Engineer Richard O'Connor. Laezza expects the planning board will hear the site plan at its August meeting. 

In March, Clark's master plan to create a new town center, prepared by O'Connor and Planner Kevin O'Brien of Shamrock Enterprises, zoned a new "Limited Commercial Industrial" district for the Gypsum property (which was previously zoned for industrial use) and the ShopRite side of Central Avenue from Raritan Road to the Parkway circle. 

The vision presented in the master plan is for an environmentally friendly commercial center with retail and office space in "a park like setting with tree-lined streets" and with "a central architectural focus such as a fountain, plaza, clock tower or landscaped boulevard." 

Many residents attended the master plan meetings and several voiced concerns about how the new development would affect traffic, whether a town center was the best use of the property, and what sorts of stores might rent there. 

"The Master Plan is simply a comprehensive long range plan intended to guide the growth and development of a community," said O'Brien in March. "This step we are at right now is the first step. It lays out a vision for the community – what we hope this area will look like."

Following approval of the master plan, council adopted an ordinance defining the LCI zone in May. 

Still, the vision for a new town center is just that, a vision, until a developer submits a site plan, O'Brien explained at the March meeting, saying that the last steps in the process would happen when a developer with a contract to purchase the property comes before the planning board with a site plan. 

Stay tuned for further details on the developer and the specific plan submitted to the planning board; Patch will continue to report on this story as more information becomes available.

Read more:

What Stores Would You Want in Clark's New Town Center?

Clark's New Town Center Zoning Approved, Now Wait Begins For a Developer

Clark Introduces Zoning Ordinance for New Town Center

Clark Says Yes to Plan for Town Center on Former Gypsum Site

Mayor Responds to Gypsum Rezoning Criticism; Public Hearing Tonight at ALJ

Clark Residents Voice Concerns About Proposal for New Town Center on Gypsum Site

A New Town Center on Old Gypsum Property, Suggests Master Plan Report

Mayor Bonaccorso Asks: What Do Residents Want Built at Gypsum Property?

What Should Take the U.S. Gypsum Factory's Place in Clark?

What do you think of the plan for a new town center? Tell us in the comments.