file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood ‘s Historic Preservation Commission has “identified the Ridgewood bus station building as having historic significance to the village. The bus station designed by architect J. Robert Gilchrist, is of the 1950s mid-century modern school of design .
Gilchrist, who died in 2008, was a prominent Bergen County architect, whose projects include Continental Plaza in Hackensack and International Crossroads in Mahwah.
The style emphasized creating structures with ample windows and open floor plans, with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. Many Mid-century houses utilized then-groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass. Function was as important as form in Mid-Century designs, with an emphasis placed on targeting the needs of the average American family.
The village has decided to turn down NJ Transit’s offer to replace the iconic bus station but will instead renovate the structure to preserve its place in history.
In resent years the bus station has become a bit of an eyesore and it run down appearance seems to attract drug dealers, junkies and criminals along with local commuters
What the hell do you think you’ll see at the ugly huge parking garage.
The bus station is beautiful architecture. I have taken the bus hundreds of times and never saw a vagrant. So if there is one once in a while the police can take care of it. There are vagrants around the train station too. I have seen them and in the parks even Van Neste.
The Commission’s identification of this structure as something that is historically significant tells me that they have too much time on their hands. Maybe our parking lot building contractor can throw some chlorine and a coat of paint on the shelter. I am sure that once the renovations are completed, business will improve and new home owners will be attracted to the area. Give it a few years and maybe the Commission will give same designation to our parking garage.
Remove the sides, keep the roof and architecture, power wash away the urine & feces as needed.
Oh yeah, empty the garbage cans. Commuters only require shelter from the rain.
Then put your thinking cap on and figure out how to keep the drunks from using the stairwells in the new parking deck as porta potties.
Iconic…?
What a joke! Iconic???
that’ has to be early April fools joke..
the bus utility is a good service poorly maintained by the authorities ..we need new busses on the lines
ps
raised garage will be the new low in terms of stinking hulking structures..drug and crime arena.they are dirt magnets also refered to as Beacons always lit.never fitting in . Those poor neighbors…new tenement district.
idio-iconic. Latin for ass backwards directional momentum.
It is a Bus shelter, not a station because it doesn’t issue tickets of any sort. Interesting to know that this is iconic, but the train station plaza, which is rich in history is being torn down. How much is this going to cost
The train station plaza is not being torn down
I believe many years ago someone was raped and site that bus station. I’m going back probably 20 years. That building is been a problem for 30 years that I know of. Right now it’s falling apart, and it’s filthy. And the lighting inside is very dim. Why can’t they at least give her a good cleaning repair the lighting. I know at one time the police department used to lock it at night. Because some people sleeping inside. I don’t know what the answer is.
That place is been a shit hole for the past 15 years. Nothing but problems. New Jersey transit should build a new Hob they’re. I don’t know why the village of Ridgewood has full responsibility there, maintaining cleaning. Place is a disgrace. Just like parts of the train station very filthy outside by the elevator disgusting. So much for the cameras too.
They keep looking for happy days projects..
Stick to the current problems,traffic ,pedestrian risks due
speeding ,non yielding motorists,jaywalking ..lighting in commercial Zone at main corners ESP Franklin needs more
wattage focussed into the crosswalks .
there’s more volume coming get a handle on pedestrian
risks now and scale it up for the developments to come..more traffic , more pedestrian volume,,kids etc
Make the lighting real bright. We feel that will solve a lot of the problems that happen Thear.
Rome is Burning and we are writing story books about a leantoo shed close to not having any heat nor light , a filthy facility that the NJ Transit should rebuild in brick and
offer some protection from the elements ; that can be cleaned ,then locked at night like a real town.We need to check the water in this town..it’s getting a bit to wobbly intellect
wise. They keep shifting the happy together talk to avoid dealing with the real issues that are hard to address manage and take intelligent approach to.Happy Holidays Ridgewood a town worth fighting for …2019 needs a more realistic plan on cost containment and cancelation of massive Hudson st garage plans in order to cut our longer term losses .
Who made the decision to turn down the NJ Transit offer to replace the station. Sounds like a win -win for all.
win win / = loose loose sadly under the VOR DOME.This can be changed , if we all vote.. excluding the current damaging misplanning with the raised garage on Hudson St
forced down our throats and larger tax payments ahead..
this garage will be a negative cash vacuum for a long time of loss making .
bus shack needs new historic sign designating that you are arrived at THE END .
The original bus station was a gray wooden shack. I remember it as a drafty shelter, back when I was a child going to Mt. Carmel School. I’m not sure, but I think Al & Harry ran a news stand next to it, then they got a store front across the street on Prospect St, & opened “Al’s & Harry’s”. The old bus station was refurbished and moved a few blocks away on Dayton St. I think it’s being used as an office bldg, but has a plaque on it, saying it’s the original bus station. When the now existing station was built, it was beautiful & considered very modern. It was never locked back then. A Village worker cleaned it every morning. His name was George Brown. But, even then, there was an alcoholic woman who chronically urinated and passed out in the phone booth. She was called, “Betty Bus Stop”. There were hippies/druggies who hung out at the park across the street (Van Neste Sq. Park), and took shelter in the bus station during bad weather. Now and then, a down on their luck transient person slept overnight in the bus station. I remember a few mentally ill people passing through, also a pervert now & then. This was back in the late 60’s.
So, it’s not because it’s run down that junkies & “criminals” are attracted to it. Drug dealers probably bring drugs in on the bus and ride it back. Or, it’s just a convenient meeting place, maybe it’s simply a place out of the rain or cold weather, where no one kicks you out.