For the past several months, there has been an eyesore situated at the center of one of Livingston’s main hubs. At Northfield Center, along the intersection of Northfield Road and South Livingston Avenue, there is a vacant lot of dirt, rubble, and overgrowth. It is surrounded by a flimsy temporary fence and a tattered black cloth, intended to hide the view of the vacant site, that only adds to the ugliness of the area. It has been like this for a while, with no apparent changes on the horizon.It didn’t always look this way, though. Until about a year ago, the site was home to the Northfield Baptist Church. When the church closed and the property was sold, plans were set in motion to build a three-story mixed-use development. It was to include retail storefronts, office space, and residential units on the church’s former property and two adjacent lots, which were to be consolidated into a single parcel. The plans called for more than two dozen units, four of which would be affordable housing.At a Planning Board meeting to approve the project, the applicant, Livingston Builders, spoke of a goal to “modernize the downtown” with a “pedestrian-friendly” development. The artist renderings of the building were impressive, and it was to be located in a place in town that made sense. To wit, at a time that most Livingston housing projects have been met with outcry from residents, there was nary a public comment when the Planning Board approved the project after three meetings of testimony in the fall of 2020.In general, town officials and residents seemed excited about what was to come and what it would mean for that section of Livingston. The project was also part of the township’s settlement with Fair Share Housing Corporation.Since then, however, the church and neighboring buildings have been demolished, and… that’s about it. Despite all the necessary approvals to move forward, nothing has happened. At the most recent Township Council meeting, Council members wondered what, if anything could be done to push the project along.The developer has told the town that the financing he had set up for the project has been held due to increase in materials and labor costs associated with the project. As a result, the developer has begun to question the financial viability of the project.Anyone who has made, or attempted to make, a purchase in the past few ...
