State puts Plainfield armory up for sale
The Plainfield armory is up for sale with a price tag of a million dollars, officials said.
The state-owned building will be offered to state agencies and the city first, said Tom Vincz, a spokesperson at the state Treasury Department, which is overseeing the sale. It could not be determined exactly when the property will be put on the market.
The armory was closed in the early 1990s because it was underutilized. But instead of selling the space, the state rented it to veterans groups.
Recently, the Military and Veterans Affairs Agency requested the armory be designated as surplus, prompting the sale. On Monday, the State House Commission approved the sale.
Plainfield Mayor Albert McWilliams said the city might be interested in the property if the price is right. But the building needs "hundreds of thousands" of dollars for a cooling system and to make it handicapped accessible, he said.
"If we had the money to do the upgrades, it would be a great community center for the city," he said. "We would have to look at the details."
Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Union) has worked with the state to make sure the city has first dibs.
"I think the city should control a valuable piece of property," he said.
The armory is eligible for the state and national registers of historic sites, said Vincz, meaning the building cannot be torn down.
Julia Scott cover Plainfield. She may be reached at (908) 302-1505 or jscott@starledger.com.
