Rustic Mall demolition moves development ahead

The last part of the mall was torn down two weeks ago, enabling the removal of cancer-causing creosote in the ground beneath the building to proceed.

By: Purvi Desai
   The Environmental Protection Agency cleanup of the Rustic Mall site is moving forward, now that the building has been completely demolished.
   The last part of the mall built in the 1960s was torn down two weeks ago, Joe Korn, project manager, said, enabling the removal of cancer-causing creosote in the ground beneath the building to proceed. Mr. Korn said the EPA is expected to work on the cleanup of the site until spring 2008.
   Mr. Korn said all redevelopment plans are "on hold" until the EPA is done working on the site. He added that he will not approach the Planning Board with any development plans until sometime next year.
   Rustic Mall LLC, the borough-named redeveloper, will rebuild on the site for mixed-used commercial, residential and retail purposes. The firm has presented conceptual plans for the site, which included retail space and apartments.
   The mall demolition began in late November, after a long battle to remove tenants that began when Rustic Mall attempted to evict Manville Pizza, Speedywash Laundromat and the New Fortune Chinese Restaurant in April. The last of the tenants moved out of the mall in December.
   The mall was built on the site of the former Federal Creosote Plant, which left the cancer-causing creosote in the soil when it closed in the 1960s. After the discovery of contaminated groundwater about 10 years ago, the EPA ordered the cleanup project.
   Mr. Korn said that the cleanup and redevelopment is being executed according to what had been planned and outlined to the Borough Council.
   "Things are moving forward without any hitches at this point," he said.