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the school district owns the land. Further complicating matters, the district has been under state control for three decades, “so there was no mechanism to prioritize this and there was just no resources.”
The developer “did some value engineering” and made other tweaks to the existing plans, he said. He also brought in RPM Development as a partner on the project, noting that he knew the Montclair-based builder from his time in Newark.
Making the plan financially viable was challenging but not impossible, especially given his past experience. He pointed to complex, public-private developments in Newark such as
the Mulberry Commons park space near the Prudential Center, along with the 245-unit One Theater Square apartment tower and the restoration of the historic Hahne & Co. building downtown.
The projects helped Adofo-Wilson be familiar with tools such as the Economic Redevelopment and Growth program, or ERG, which is administered by the state Economic Development Authority, and funding from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
“Paterson has a lot of opportunities ... but at the same time it was clear that they needed the help. So I had the experience and I knew the people, so I thought I would do my best to help out,” he said. “I also felt some level of accountability as someone who was from the town, so when I started the process I didn’t want to disappoint them and I wanted to stay committed to what I told them I would do.”
It was early 2020 when the HMFA approved $29.1 million in financing for the six-story, 75-unit senior housing
Hinchliffe Stadium, one of the country’s two remaining Negro League stadiums, was completed in 1932 and was the onetime home field of Paterson’s Larry Doby, the second Black player in Major League Baseball. The venue was also home to the New York Black Yankees and the New York Cubans.
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component on Jasper Street. The start of the COVID-19 crisis only weeks later created another delay and some temporary uncertainty for the project, but BAW Development and RPM appeared to be back on track this past February, when the EDA announced the $67 million ERG tax credit for the proposal.
That set the project up for a ceremonial groundbreaking on April 14, the day before Major League Baseball’s annual Jackie Robinson Day in honor of the trailblazing infielder. It’s only fitting for a plan that will revitalize one of the country’s two remaining Negro League stadiums, highlighting Black history while also drawing attention to the still-pressing issues of racism and discrimination.
Adofo-Wilson hopes the effort will spark additional economic growth in Paterson, which has seen pockets of redevelopment in recent years, but has trailed the likes of Newark, Jersey City and Camden. He notes that Paterson is built around the Passaic River
and Great Falls, rather than its train station, meaning it is less compatible with state incentives and programs that prioritized mass transit.
“It’s just not how Paterson is built,” he said. “The train station is in the middle of the town, but it’s not as significant as the river, it’s not as significant as the falls.”
Still, he credited Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and other state officials for stepping up when it came to supporting the revival of Hinchliffe Stadium.
“Paterson deserves it,” Adofo-Wilson said, noting that the city is larger
by population than Camden and Atlantic City combined. But he is
in fact hopeful, with the belief that “complicated real estate transactions can also unclog development pipelines” in a city, as local officials
figure out how to complete and become more comfortable with large projects.
City officials are equally hopeful.
“The revitalization of Hinchliffe Stadium is the economic boost Paterson needs as we begin our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to build up our city,” Mayor Andre Sayegh said in early February. “Hinchliffe Stadium is an iconic part of Paterson’s history that has been left vacant and in disrepair for too long. I thank the Paterson City Council, Paterson School Board and many other local leaders who have helped move this project forward.” RE
A rendering of a restored Hinchliffe Stadium, which will reopen with a capacity of 7,800
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JIM MCGUCKIN l REGIONAL MANAGER l 250 PEHLE AVE #501, SADDLE BROOK, NJ 07663 l PHONE: (201) 742-6150
Real Estate Investment Sales » Financing » Research » Advisory Services
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Courtesy: Clark Caton Hinz Photo by Aaron Houston for Real Estate NJ
