City landmarks group can't save old house

Tuesday, August 14, 2007
By LYSA CHEN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Despite efforts by the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy to save a 19th-century mansion owned by Christ Hospital in Jersey City, demolition of the two buildings at 148 and 150 Palisade Ave. began Wednesday, according to a Conservancy statement.

JCLC President Joshua Parkhurst described the hospital's decision to demolish the mansion as a "tragedy," but hospital spokeswoman Barbara Davey said the building was a safety and health hazard to the community.

"On several occasions, the hospital's security department had to clear out homeless individuals who were living in the buildings," she said. "In addition, raccoons, opossum and vermin were present."

Davey added that the two residences on the property were less than 150 years old and were not classified as landmarks, and Mayor Jerramiah Healy said the property has been "decrepit and full of violations" for years.

Parkhurst, however, said the hospital should have spoken with residents of the neighborhood before reaching an official decision.

Although it is too late to prevent the building from being razed, Parkhurst said he hopes the hospital will be more transparent in its decision-making and consider replacing the now-demolished building with a garden or other open space.

Davey said Christ Hospital has no definitive plans for the future use of the land.

Please help us save 148-150 Palisade Avenue, a circa-1873 mansion atop the Palisades cliffs, by making a few simple phone calls. Help send a clear, strong message to Christ Hospital, the site's insensitive owner, and elected officials who have taken a back seat this summer while the teardown trend in Jersey City continues. Thank you! -John Gomez

Please call:

1) Barbara Davey, Christ Hospital VP of Public Relations. 201-795-8200. Ask for her directly or leave a message.

2) Councilman Steve Lipski, who represents the southern portion of Palisade Avenue where the mansion, neglected by the hospital and left abandoned for several years, stands. 201-547-5159.

3) And of course Mayor Jerremiah T. Healy. If anyone can put pressure on Christ Hospital to pull the demo permit and sit down with concerned citizens and preservationists, it's the Mayor. If you can only make one call, this is it. 201-547-5200.

Again, thank you for your time and concern! -JG

Concerned residents hope to save historic home near hospital

Monday, August 06, 2007
By BERNETTE PEARSON
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A pair of concerned Jersey City residents are hoping they can rally the community to save a 19th-century mansion slated to be demolished by Christ Hospital.

The home, occupied at 148-150 Palisade Ave., has been owned by the hospital for the last decade. Historic records date the home back to at least 1873. The hospital last used it in early 2006 as a thrift store, which has since closed.

The hospital says it is demolishing the home for "health and safety hazards" but has no plans for what it will do next with the land, according to Barbara Davey, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

The building is "not conducive for the hospital as part of the hospital's strategic plan," she said.

Davey said the building has not been officially condemned by health and safety inspectors, but it is unsafe by the hospital's standards.

"The hospital has had nothing in those buildings for two years and again they are kind of falling apart," she said.

But Norrice Raymaker and Joshua Parkhurst, president of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, say the home should be saved.

Raymaker would like to see the home itself preserved for historic reasons and its lawn turned into a "healing garden" for the hospital.

"There's no place for families to take a moment and have an outdoor space where you can collect your thoughts," she said.

Parkhurst plans to use the strength of Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy to keep the building standing.

"Throughout the city, including the Heights, there's great 19th century housing stock with great architecture," he said. "We don't see any reason for why it should be shut down."

He hopes the hospital can use the house to benefit the community.

"It could be used as a community center or for community activities," he said. "This is not a profit making development here but it'll have a magnificent purpose."

He said he received numerous e-mails from residents complaining about the demolition of the building. They said they may organize a rally to save the building, but "there will certainly be nothing inappropriate," Raymaker said.

And they both agreed to offer Christ Hospital suggestions. "If they are willing to talk we'd be happy to talk to them," Parkhurst said.

Residents interested in preserving the building on 148-150 Palisade Ave. can e-mail Joshua Parkhurst at jclandmarks@gmail.com