Pinnacle and BID Partner for “Living Spaces” Program
While mold problems continue to grow over at The Siena at Montclair, developer Pinnacle has come up with a plan to find temporary housing for condo owners and help solve the business vacancy problem that has been plaguing downtown Montclair.
With help from Montclair BID, owners of the unlivable units in The Siena have started relocating to various vacant spots along Bloomfield Avenue, Church Street and South Park Street. The partnership program, dubbed "Living Spaces," allows the displaced owners to keep a dry roof over their head as they wait for Pinnacle's next step to fixing the mold and leaking problems in The Siena building. Vacancies throughout downtown have slowly been filling up since the program started, just a few days ago.
The transition from condo to empty retail space was easy for some of those in the program, especially Lando Trainor, a Siena condo owner who now stays in the old Euro Glass and Art Gallery on South Part St. "Well, I'm less than a block away, so the move was quick and easy. I still have the view of Urban Outfitters and V Bar patrons vomiting outside my window every night, so it feels just like home."
In order to be allowed to live in an unoccupied retail or restaurant space, those in the program are prohibited from changing the outside signage and awnings-including "For Rent" and "For Sale" signs. This has made the process less than satisfactory for those in the program who have been relocated to high traffic locations, like along Bloomfield Ave. "A lot of the window shoppers seem to be confused when they see me living inside, but refusing to open my doors to them," Frame Mart Discount program occupant Betty Soares told Baristanet. "Between explaining to people that I do not sell frames, and having to show the retail space around to potential business owners, this whole program has become almost as burdensome as waking up to a rain shower in my condo bedroom."
We asked Pinnacle to comment on how long it will take to get the condo owners back into their original homes, but they have not returned Baristanet's calls.
