BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer
JEFF GRANIT staff Construction equipment sits ready to take down four snuff mill buildings in Helmetta May 22 as representatives of the borough and its redeveloper, Kaplan Cos., held a press conference on the final phase of demolition. Construction will soon begin on a senior housing community at the site. As bricks from a warehouse building of the snuff mill tumbled to the ground, it marked the end of one era, and the beginning of a new one.
Mayor Nancy Martin, members of the Helmetta Borough Council and representatives of Kaplan Cos. came together at the mill Tuesday to herald the first major demolition at the former Helme Tobacco Co. site.
“Today is truly a history-altering event for the residents of Helmetta,” Martin said. “I know this project will bring new life to the center of our community. Without Kaplan Companies, I do not believe we would be standing here today.”
Kaplan Cos. is working toward constructing Heritage at Helmetta, an age-restricted community of 225 homes that will also include retail space and a civic center for use by all of the town’s residents. As part of the $70 million plan, the mill’s two main buildings will be rehabilitated to accommodate condominiums, while new construction will feature two-bedroom flats with garages.
Jason Kaplan, president of the Highland Park development firm, said the demolition of the four other mill buildings should be complete within a few weeks. More minor demolition has been taking place in phases around the 32-acre mill property since September.
Kaplan said new buildings can be expected by the fall, and the first residents of the development will likely be moved in by the first half of 2008. He added that about 200 people, some being borough residents, have already inquired about living there.
Kaplan said the project will reach completion within a few years.
“We are creating an amenity that will be a source of local pride for residents for decades to come,” Kaplan said.
According to Martin, when the development is fully built, it will generate more than $1 million in tax revenue for the borough.
The project and its merits have been the subject of debate in the community for years. Some wanted to see the buildings preserved due to their history, dating to the 1880s when George W. Helme founded the company. Though the community was built around the snuff mill, the operation closed in 1993, and all of the buildings have been vacant since.
Middlesex County Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel took part in Tuesday’s event, praising the Kaplans and extending his vote of confidence to the project. The borough’s historical society president, Kathryn Hackett-Fields, also spoke to the crowd of about 30 residents and members of the media.
“We can’t deny, it will be sad to lose some of these buildings here,” Hackett-Fields said, adding, “Helmetta is a rich and diverse town, and I know it will continue to be this way. No matter how big it gets, we’re still going to be standing together.”
Hackett-Fields pointed out that the town’s history is preserved by members of the community like Joe Sapia, a local historian who posts monthly exhibits on Helmetta’s history in the town’s post office. She later told the Sentinel that while it is still yet to be determined where the artifacts taken from the mill buildings will be kept, they will ultimately be displayed for residents to view. One possibility would be to create displays in the lobbies of the residential buildings of the project.
“If there had been the will to preserve it, it would have been done in 1993,” Hackett-Fields said.
Michael Kaplan, Jason’s father and the company’s former president, expressed his pleasure at seeing the project move toward its fruition, while recognizing the historic significance of the snuff mill.
“It has always served as a great example of turn-of-the-century America,” Michael Kaplan said. “These buildings tell the story of that long ago growth. It was a source of employment for many residents … This is our opportunity to recreate what once was. We will be breathing new life into some of these classic buildings, [and] we are making way for new structures that will also stand the test of time.”
Tara Leonard, a nearby John Street resident, came to watch the demolition. Living in Helmetta for 10 years, she said she has mixed feelings about the project.
“I’m in the middle, I’m torn,” she said.
One of Leonard’s concerns is increased traffic to the quiet neighborhood where her children play outside.
“It’s a lot of wasted space, so I’m glad to see something being done here,” Leonard said. “People are said to see it go – hopeful, but sad.”