Will redevelopment derail historic Black River & Western Railroad in Hunterdon?
FLEMINGTON – The railroad may be coming back to Turntable Junction.
The Black River & Western Railroad, the popular steam train that runs on weekends between Flemington and Ringoes and someday to Lambertville, might be derailed by the proposed redevelopment of the vacant Liberty Village Outlet Center into a residential neighborhood, Kean Burenga, the railroad president, told the Borough Council on Monday.
"The project is not good for the railroad," he said. The platform and ticket booth for the steam excursions is between what used to be the stores and the center's parking lot.
"It's very hard to run a railroad through a residential complex," he said. "A residential complex is terrible for the railroad, so is an empty shopping center."
That's why Burenga was asking for the Borough Council's blessing in moving the railroad's platform to the adjacent Turntable Junction which was built in the mid-1960s with copies of historic buildings centered around a railroad turntable. The turntable was at the junction of the Black River & Western Railroad, which ran between Flemington and Lambertville, and the South Branch Line of the Central Railroad of New Jersey between Flemington and Somerville.
Relocating the platform, Burenga said, would allow the railroad "to take advantage of the Stangl Road vibrancy."
It would also be a step in creating a rail trail from Main Street to Stangl Road which has become a revitalized destination in the county seat.
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Burenga said there is money in a state trust fund for the project which he said he was confident he could obtain.
Burenga also said there is the possibility of extending Church Street across the tracks to Stangl Road.
The Council voted unanimously to support the project and submit an endorsement letter with the railroad's application for the trust money.
"You've been an amazing partner for Flemington," said Mayor Marcia Karrow. "People love trains."
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The borough is still in negotiations on a redevelopment agreement for Liberty Village.
The preliminary plan called for 160 townhomes in the first phase of the development where the stores were, and the second phase for 225 apartments in five buildings in the center’s parking lot. However, the apartment proposal faces challenges because of flooding issues.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Black River & Western Railroad in Hunterdon NJ floats survival plan
