Ghosts of The Record's old headquarters will be buried under new housing on river

Hackensack planners envision a riverfront development of up to 700 residential units, 70,000 square feet of retail and possibly a hotel on what they call the 150 River St. site, including the old headquarters of North Jersey Media Group and The Record, which moved to Woodland Park in 2009. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- I always imagined the old headquarters of The Record and the newsroom where I worked for nearly 30 years would be leveled by explosives.

Or, an enormous wrecking ball would tear through the wall of the fourth-floor newsroom, which gave editors and reporters a sweeping view of the Meadowlands and the Manhattan skyline beyond.

Instead, the three buildings at 150 River St. will be pulverized after they are taken down with extended mechanical claws and large misters to keep down the dust.

The pulverized masonry and concrete will be left on the redevelopment site, where city planners envision a riverfront community of up to 700 apartments with public spaces and a Hackensack River walk in the first phase of construction.

They would be followed by up to 70,000 square feet of retail, including restaurants and bars, and possibly a hotel with a minimum of 100 rooms.

The pulverized material likely will be used to raise the site 3 feet, as city officials require before construction begins, because the land is in a floodplain.

That means the many ghosts of the landmark building where the once-great local daily newspaper was published will be buried there.

Developers

Fourth Edition, a Borg family company, is expected to partner with the Hampshire Real Estate Cos. and Russo Development to build on the Record site.

Jon F. Hanson, chairman of Hampshire, and Malcolm A. Borg, former chairman of North Jersey Media Group, are close friends who once co-owned a private jet.

The current development plans apparently don't include the USS Ling, a World War II submarine that hasn't been boarded in years and may be beyond salvaging.

The nearby naval museum lost its lease in 2016, when Stephen A. Borg, then-publisher of The Record, said the sub wasn't on family property.

19.7 acres

The 2015 plan by DMR Architects of Hasbrouck Heights includes adjacent parcels: 80 River St. (Heritage Diner), and 62 and 76 Bridge St., a total of 19.7 acres -- all owned by Bergen Evening Record Inc. and Macromedia Inc.

The Record and NJMG moved out of the 3- and 4-story building where The Record was pubished in 2009.

But the Borg family didn't include the 19.7 acres in the sale of their publishing company to Gannett in July 2016 -- the beginning of the end for more than 350 NJMG employees who would lose their jobs.

City planners say the development must include "open space that will provide a visual connection and public access to the Hackensack River."

A public riverfront walkway would have to be at least 30 feet wide.

Demolition

Demolition of the building at 150 River St., a warehouse and a maintenance garage is scheduled to begin in August after removal of wires, bulbs, thermostats and refrigerants; hazardous material, and water and sewer pipes, among other items. 

Employees of the Vannuzzi Group, a demolition and recycling company based in Kinnelon, have begun stripping the buildings.

See: Demolition is near for landmark building

See: Abandoning River City

The newsroom in The Record building, completed in 1951 with an addition from the 1980s, ran the length of the fourth floor, above. Garage bays were used to load copies of The Record into delivery trucks, but printing was moved out of Hackensack in 2006. 

The 3-story structure closest to River Street was completed in 1957. The top floor had executive offices and a dining room.

An early concept of apartments on the Hackensack River, with courtyards and parking garages, was given a new address, 155 River St., and showed the USS Ling moored in its usual spot.