
Photo credit: Village of Ridgewood Tax Assessor’s web site
MAY 1, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The First National Bank and Trust Company building is a Ridgewood landmark, one of the most recognizable sites of the downtown landscape. Erected in the early 1930s, its Classical Revival-inspired exterior is iconic to this day, while the indoor architecture and distinct features continue to stand the test of time.
But existing sans tenants for the past five years, the massive structure has become an unofficial symbol of the Central Business District’s (CBD) plights: several longstanding vacant storefronts, the struggle for adequate parking, underused properties and a drawn-out permitting process.
The building in the heart of the village’s downtown has been without an occupant since Bank of America closed its branch there in January 2010.
Real estate investment and development firm Onyx Equities, however, wants to return the building back to its heyday.
Onyx acquired the bank and property in April 2013; its principals paying nearly $2 million for the deed to the land.
According to the Village of Ridgewood website, the combined property and improvements were most recently assessed at more than $3.9 million.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/bank-repurposed-for-big-catch-1.1323143