NJMG, Bergen County are bad for Hackensack

Bergen County has agreed to lease 540 parking spaces at the former headquarters of The Record in Hackensack, above, from North Jersey Media Group, and provide shuttle buses to the courthouse. These dumpsters were still in place on Monday, nearly four years after the publishing company and its flagship newspaper moved out.

It isn't known whether any of the parking spaces near the U.S.S. Ling are included in the parking deal, which might further delay development of the property in tax-poor Hackensack.

Lots of equipment has been staged in The Record's parking lot in recent months, but the wealthy Borg family haven't disclosed their plans for the 20 acres they own along River Street or whether their landmark newspaper building will be torn down.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

It's bad enough that North Jersey Media Group and The Record abandoned Hackensack in 2009, sending Main Street merchants into a tail-spin from which they still haven't recovered.

But the selfish Borg family -- NJMG's owners -- still haven't announced plans for development of their 20 acres along River Street -- property that could generate much-need revenue for tax-poor Hackensack.

Now, according to a story on today's Local front, Bergen County will begin construction on a new Justice Center on Court Street, and lease 540 parking spaces in the parking lot of the old Record building for more than $777,000.

These developments are really bad news for Hackensack residents and the reform slate of City Council members who will be sworn in on July 1 after campaigning against a 65% property tax hike under successive Zisa family administrations.

Borgs get richer

The wealthy Borgs will cash in on their eyesore, but Hackensack won't see any additional tax revenue from NJMG or tax-exempt Bergen County.

The tax-exempt Justice Center will pile on hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-free property owned by Hackensack University Medical Center and Fairleigh Dickinson University -- two of The Record's media darlings.

And the 2-year parking-space lease with the county may prevent development of 150 River Street and nearby acres through July 2015 and beyond.

Rumors of a new Walmart on the Borg's River Street property have evaporated, and now Walmart will be opening a new store in Teterboro.

Is Costco leaving?

And Costco Wholesale reportedly will close its store opposite the Bergen County Courthouse complex, and build a larger store in Teterboro next to Walmart, depriving Hackensack of more tax revenue.

It's unclear why the Borgs didn't offer their 20 acres to Costco or to the developer of a proposed 19-story acute-care hospital who has been battling the city of Hackensack and Prospect Avenue residents for close to 4 years.

Today's L-1 story on the new Justice Center makes a mysterious reference to revenue from "the metered parking lot" offsetting the cost of the county's parking lease with NJMG, and "the county's existing metered lot" (L-6).

Christie's lap dogs

The Record continues to talk up Governor Christie's chances for winning a second term and to discount the challenge from Democrat Barbara Buono (A-1 and A-8).

All this wasted space on politics -- without any discussion of Christie's many policy failures and mismanagement of state finances -- is what we've come to expect from Editor Marty Gottlieb, Columnist Charles Stile and the paper's robotic Trenton reporters.

Hackensack news?

Coverage of Hackensack is going  to the dogs -- with the byline of Hackensack reporter Hannan Adely appearing for a second day today on a story about a pit bull that attacked two 12-year-old boys in Lyndhurst (L-1).

On Tuesday, Adlely reported police news from Clifton and fire news from Rutherford.

More crumbs

Esther Davidowitz is listed as the new food editor in the "CONTACT US" box on BL-2 today, but her byline on the Better Living front identifies her as "STAFF WRITER."

Readers looking for guidance on preparing healthy meals at home can turn the page: 

Davidowtiz promotes a new, expensive cooking school in Englewood.