It is the essence of a diner. A long counter coupled with stools, narrow rows of cushioned booths, and a menu including all of the basics. Best of all, it is open 24 hours.
But the Flamingo Diner at 31 Montgomery St., a fixture in downtown Jersey City since the 1960s, will soon be forced to close its doors as the city plans to acquire the property through its power of eminent domain. The city wants to demolish the three-story structure housing the diner so that Greene Street can be widened in an attempt to ease traffic.
Under municipal law, the city has a right to acquire private property if the use benefits the community. It must offer the property’s owner a fair market payment. The City Council passed an ordinance and a resolution at its meeting Wednesday night to begin the acquisition process.
As it stands, the city plans to offer $1.5 million, a number that came from an appraiser’s value of the property. However, city officials are expecting the owner of the Flamingo, who owns the entire building, to argue for a better price in court.
The building’s property value has soared in the past two decades as towering skyscrapers have risen in every direction. After all, it rests a block away from the pier, light rail and business community.
The owner of The Flamingo declined to comment last week.
Staple of what was
News of the diner’s impending demolition shocked customers and staff. They said they had not heard or read anything about the city’s plans. Upon hearing the news, patrons – both residents and commuters – and employees questioned whether the city is acting in the community’s best interest.
“It’s the most stupid, ridiculous thing the neighborhood ever heard,” said Joan Coletti, a regular patron at The Flamingo since she moved to Jersey City six years ago. “This should be an historical landmark.”
Coletti grew angrier, pacing up and down the diner as she talked about how it’s an essential part of the community. “This is the only place where you get to see the neighborhood,” she said.
People who live close by said that The Flamingo serves the needs of a community that has been stripped of neighborhood amenities in recent years. “Ever since they have started the development down here, they have forgotten that there were already residents down here,” said Andrea Woollery, a Jersey City resident who lives close to diner.
“That’ll be a shame, because it’s a good place to eat and it’s convenient,” said Michael Glazer, who works across the street.
Glazer’s colleague shook his head. “That’s terrible,” said Fred Marra. “They should give them an alternate spot.”
“It’s not going to cut down the traffic here,” said a waitress at the diner who gave her name as Linda. “It’s going to be congested no matter what you do.”
Linda has worked at The Flamingo for 20 years and said the restaurant provides an invaluable service to the area. Some of the nearby apartment buildings are filled with senior citizens who often have food from the restaurant delivered, Linda said. Other restaurants in the area are high-end establishments that do not offer the moderate prices one can expect at The Flamingo.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid,” Wayne Zidiak said. “There’s no place else to go around here.”
While patrons were outspoken when hearing the news at The Flamingo, no one voiced an opinion on the matter at the City Council meeting. During the caucus meeting Monday, city officials also expressed sympathy for the fate of the diner, but said that there was no other choice.
“We spent months in an attempt not to do this,” said Mark Munley, director of the Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce. Munley added that the city’s engineers had conducted in-depth field studies on the area and could not find an alternative.
Although HEDC attempts to work with displaced companies and residents when it acquires property through imminent domain, city officials believe that the owner of The Flamingo would not want to relocate because of the difficulty in finding a location as perfect as 31 Montgomery St.
As of now, no time frame has been set for officially acquiring the building, demolishing it, and widening the street, said Corporate Counsel Alex Booth. He expected concrete dates to follow shortly.
The engineers upstairs
MDM, an engineer consulting company, will have to move from the building as well. The company moved to Jersey City a decade ago and found a home on the other three floors of 31 Montgomery St.
Although he has not heard anything official, Controller John Sherman said that he has heard rumors about the condemnation process for over a year. The company’s headquarters is in Manhattan, but it has conducted business in Jersey City for so long that Sherman said he’ll find another location nearby.
“I don’t want to leave Jersey City,” Sherman said. “There seem to be a lot of places available [here].”
But Sherman does not know when that move would have to take place, as the company has been left in the dark about the acquisition process. “We’re kind of in limbo,” he said. “I haven’t the foggiest idea.”