Following two weeks of testimony, a six-member jury in Newark Superior Court determined that Bloomfield would have to pay investor Howard Haberman $2.9 million as fair and just compensation for the historic train station property on Lackawanna Place. The verdict, which was announced Friday, June 3, was 5-1.
Haberman owned the property until the township condemned it in 2012 and took title. At that time, the property was appraised by the township at $440,000 and by Haberman at $3.2 million. The site is located across the street from the downtown redevelopment project, Glenwood Village.
The township intended to revitalize the derelict and padlocked station because it contained the entrance to an underground pedestrian tunnel owned by New Jersey Transit. An NJT train station is right above the tunnel. A usable walkway under the train tracks would allow commuters a shortcut to Midtown Direct Service and Manhattan. Township officials had hailed the station as the lynch pin in the Bloomfield transit village designation.
Mayor Michael Venezia said the June 3 verdict would be appealed.
“Obviously, no one in their right mind would pay that much money for it,” Venezia said. “We will have to sit down with our legal team and determine why the jury made this decision.
The township was represented by McManimon, Scotland & Baumann. Haberman’s attorney was Anthony Della Pelle.
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