Conditional Redeveloper - HP RarDen Redevelopment (formerly Tantum Fidelco)

After a competitive RFP process, on November 22, 2022, Borough Council authorized a resolution to designate Tantum Fidelco HP LLC as the conditional redeveloper for the property identified as Tract A in the 2021 Downtown Redevelopment Plan for Tracts A-D, and to execute an interim cost and conditional designation agreement. The designation was extended by Borough Council on May 16, 2023, December 5, 2023, and on March 19, 2024. This agreement enables the Borough and Tantum Fidelco (now HP RarDen Redevelopment) to pursue pre-development activities including, but not limited to, review of the conditional developer’s proposal, negotiations, and preparation of a redevelopment agreement.

Map of Tracts A-D 

Concept Plan & Preliminary Renderings

On October 16, 2025, the Borough held a community meeting to present a concept plan and preliminary renderings of the proposed Tract Are redevelopment. Following an overview presentation by Borough officials and representatives from the conditional developer, HP RarDen Redevelopment (Tantum), attendees visited information stations to discuss their ideas and concerns about the project. Comment cards were also distributed and collected and will be used to inform the next phase of the project. Links to the meeting materials are below. 

• Presentation slide deck
• Presentation video

Property Assembly

115 Raritan Avenue
In the role of conditional redeveloper, HP RarDen Redevelopment has been working to purchase the remaining privately held properties in Tract A. Most recently, they negotiated an agreement with Ubry’s Inc., an automotive repair shop located at 115 Raritan Avenue, to relocate to 70 Woodbridge Avenue (formerly P&K Auto Clinic). On May 7, 2024, Borough Council passed an ordinance authorizing an Assignment and Assumption Agreement with HP RarDen Redevelopment whereby the Borough agreed to accept the assignment of the exchange agreement with Ubry’s and to accept title on the P&K property. Having completed the renovations on 70 Woodbridge Avenue, the Borough and Ubry's Inc. completed a title swap in December 2024 with the understanding that Ubry's will complete its relocation by the end of February 2025.

125 Raritan Avenue 
For several years, the Borough and HP RarDen Redevelopment have been in discussions with the owners of 125 Raritan Avenue (owner/operator of Classic Cleaners) to come to an agreement for the purchase of the property. A significant challenge is the known groundwater contamination related to the operation of the dry cleaner, which could have clean-up costs as much as $1 million. In 2017 and 2020, the Borough secured approximately $58,000 in grant funding from the NJDEP’s Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) in order to conduct a Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation of the property. The next step is a remedial investigation, which will help give a more precise understanding of the clean-up costs; however, as the owners are identified by the NJDEP as the “responsible party” related to the contamination, the property is no longer eligible for HDSRF funding. The NJDEP has set two important deadlines related to the property: 1) October 1, 2024: completion of the remedial investigation; and 2) September 30, 2027: completion of the remedial action (clean up of the contamination).  

On July 16, 2024, the Borough Council passed a resolution authorizing the Planning Board to undertake a preliminary investigation to determine if the Classic Cleaners properties (Block 1704, Lots 43, 46 and 49) meet the criteria for an area in need of redevelopment with condemnation powers. The Borough Planner has completed the study and on March 6, 2025 the Planning Board concurred with the findings that the property met the criteria as an area in need of redevelopment.