PATERSON — Not so fast — that’s essentially the message a state official sent to Mayor Andre Sayegh on Monday about his plans to sell the Libby’s Lunch property.
The New Jersey Historic Preservation Office, or HPO, told Sayegh it needs to approve the proposed $850,000 sale and may impose restrictions on what can be done with the property.
The state’s intervention could derail Sayegh’s hopes to see the building replaced with a new restaurant. Sal Washah, the high bidder at last week’s Libby’s property auction, previously told Paterson Press he wants to demolish Libby’s and construct a new four-story restaurant and cafe that he would like to see open for business in six months.
Monday’s letter from the deputy director of HPO, Katherine Marcopul, did not say explicitly whether the iconic hot dog joint can be knocked down. What it said was that a review would be conducted “to ensure preservation of the property’s significant historic features.”
There’s disagreement on whether such a historic review will ultimately permit demolition.
“Libby’s is not considered a protected asset,” said Sayegh’s chief of staff, Habib Kader. “It’s not part of any historic period of significance as it was built in the ’40s or ’50s. It’s all part of a formal process given that it falls within a historic district.”
But David Soo, the historic preservation activist who alerted the state to the city’s Libby’s auction, believes HPO will block the demolition.
“If you demolish historic buildings, you’re left with nothing,” said Soo. “What’s the purpose of historic preservation if you allow historic buildings to be knocked down?
Earlier:Owner of Middle Eastern restaurant buys iconic Libby’s Lunch site in Paterson
Marcopul’s letter to Sayegh noted that Libby’s is located within several Great Falls historic districts designated by the state.
Habib said the historic regulations affecting the property were provided to the bidders in last week’s auction, saying he doesn’t think the HPO’s intervention will affect the outcome of the sale. The chief of staff noted that the proposed sale still needs city council approval before any contracts can be signed.
Washah, a retired technology professor who also is part owner of the Kanoon Restaurant on Hazel Street in Clifton, said he was unaware of the HPO letter but said he would do whatever is necessary to comply with the state’s requirements.
Soo, who is running for Paterson’s 5th Ward council seat in next Tuesday’s election, said he thinks the prospective buyer’s plan for a four-story restaurant at the Great Falls, will be denied. He criticized Sayegh for his support of the plan.
“Mayor Sayegh’s delight over the demolition of an important historic building like Libby’s shows that he is not fit to be part of our National Historical Park,” said Soo.
Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com
PATERSON — The owner of a Clifton restaurant where the menu features Middle Eastern smoked meats emerged as the high bidder on Tuesday to buy the iconic Libby’s Lunch hot dogs property at Paterson’s Great Falls, officials said.
In an online auction, Sal Washah outbid several other restaurant businesses by making a commitment to spend $850,000 to acquire the Libby’s property from the city of Paterson, officials said.
Mayor Andre Sayegh was jubilant over the outcome of the auction, conducted by Max Spann Real Estate, for a property assessed at $525,000.
Story continues after photo gallery.
“Once again, we exceeded expectations,” the mayor said of the high bid. “We want to make Paterson a destination for foodies and attract more visitors to the Great Falls.”
Washah said he plans to demolish the Libby’s structure and construct a new three- or four-story business overlooking the Passaic River and Great Falls. It would include a cafe with pastries as well as restaurant dining, including sandwiches and smoked meats “with a Middle Eastern touch.”
“It will be a place anybody can bring his spouse or his family,” said Washah, a retired professor from the New Jersey Institute of Technology who is part-owner of Kanoon on Hazel Street in Clifton.
Washah said he hopes to open his new business in six months.
“It’s a high price,” he said of his $850,000 bid, “but I wanted it very bad.”
Libby’s, which opened in 1936, shut down in 2020 amid the pandemic. City officials and community leaders disagreed over whether the city should sell a property that some described as a gold mine.
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‘Not in favor of selling your assets’
Councilman Michael Jackson, Sayegh’s primary critic, said Paterson got shortchanged in the auction.
“Number one, I’m not in favor of selling off your assets,” Jackson said. “Number two, it’s going to become much more valuable when the Falls is fully done.”
Even longtime Sayegh supporter Michael Symonds said selling Libby’s was “shortsighted” because of the financial potential of opening a restaurant at the site as development grows around the Great Falls.
During the past year, Paterson has reopened Hinchliffe Stadium, on the other side of the river, and unveiled a new museum at the historic ballpark. The city is finishing work on a major expansion of the national park, which officials said would open in the next few months. Sayegh is also looking to build a state-of-the-art visitor center in the Overlook section of the park.
Second Ward Councilman Shahin Khalique, who represents the district where Libby’s is, said the auction price was higher than expected.
“It goes to show that Paterson is in growth mode, and more investors want to be a part of the progress,” Khalique said.
The sale still needs approval from the City Council before it becomes final. Sayegh said he would get that vote to the council as soon as possible.