I am not sure investing in the PAL building is a wise decision. I understand this temporary building was constructed as a real estate sales office, not as a permanent structure, around 1930. It is very small - perhaps the size of a living room.
Teaneck has a record of bad building decisions. Anyone remember the "Town House" at the corner of Teaneck Road and Forest Ave.? It was an old school building in poor condition. It was used for various meetings and as a Senior Citizen Center. The Township used grant money to install an elevator. Then it was learned the roof was collapsing. The newly installed elevator was demolished along with the building about 1995. That was a poor investment.
No more poor investments of Teaneck dollars, please!

You're absolutely right Art.
This building was 'renovated' about 20 years ago. It was used briefly by a soccer league in town and now it's in disrepair again? Raze it and plant flowers on the lot. I'm sure volunteers would love to plant flowers.

The Eyesore on 4!

Meeting place, Really? Meeting place for what and why would anyone care to meet there? Eli Katz Fail!

Reopen it as PAL, our youth needs it, don't you think? Meeting place for whom? Adults? Come on Teaneck!

Mary, I haven't been in it but the building really is too small. I walked around it day before yesterday. If the township wants to go ahead it better first make public a 3rd party engineers report to determine its condition (will is collapse in a few years like the Town House?) and what is required to bring it up to safety, fire and occupancy code, though I think municipalities are exempt in from those regulation. (Can anyone explain why that is so or not? Why the regulations we citizens must follow are not required of a governing body?)

Raze it. There is no value in it. I wonder how much Elie Katz is getting for this? Anytime there is a big decision to be made in Teaneck - SCRUTINIZE Katz....

We are already pissing dollars away with our Township Manager's boondoggle of a vehicle and lonnnnnnnnnnng commute to Jackson, NJ.

absolutely, Kickbacks are alive and well in Teaneck!

Unless you can disprove it then I can make any such statement...

I have fond memories of having Girl Scout meetings there in the 60's-at that time it was called "The Girl Scout Little House". Maybe it could become a commuter station for the commuters who wait for buses and rides. It looks like a pretty busy bus stop.

Thank you, Toni! First time I've heard the building was actually used for children's activity. As far as a "commuter station" is concerned, you'll note the eastbound Belle Ave bus stop across Rt. 4 has a bus shelter. I agree, the westbound bus stop should be considered for one as well.

I have concerns about this building's potential and value. Parking in the area is limitted and restricted. The proximity to a highway where vehicles travel at 55 MPH is a safety issue. The ingress and egress to Route #4 at Belle Avenue creates a potentially dangerous situation for vehicles in the area; cyclists and pedestrians as well. The building has no basement, heat, air conditioning nor decent insulation and is structurally questionable.. the overall footprint and amount of internal square footage is small and the cost/return on investment ratio would be low from my perspective. Don't waste the dollars; put them towards the old police building which can provide plenty of meeting space.

Teaneck government running crazy... spending dollars..... like there is no tomorrow.

This is how all projects start here in Teaneck...... They end up costing a lot more than the estimates........ We should get rid of it..... period......

Why don't people use rooms in the Teaneck high school across the highway..... There is plenty of room......

The old Police building should be sold to the highest bidder........

The Rt. 4 Belle Ave entrance/exit is unchanged since the highway was built nearly 100 years ago. The westbound road lacks both a deceleration and an acceleration lane. The Council has been informed of this situation. It is a safety issue so they should request reconstruction by NJDOT of that area of Kieliszek Park immediately. I also hope they remove the self-serving "Welcome to Teaneck/Season's Greetings" signs at the intersection. Those signs reduce the useable area of the park as does the PAL building. I hope they remove both and replace them with a bus shelter and perhaps some park bench/tables as they have in Sagamore Park.

This is why smart people are saying some kickbacks are in the picture somewhere.... no sane person will invest 20K in such a venture.... Raze it and turn it into a green space..... put an add on craigslist.... take anything you need.... this place will be gone before you know it..... for free...

Some recent history. The "PAL building" housed a ham radio group and the Teaneck Junior Soccer League up to about 2006-07. After that TJSL has had to house its equipment in the canteen at Votee and have mtgs in Rodda. I do not know what happened to the ham radio group. It was never confirmed that is was actually used as a PAL Club house. If there was a plan that included revenue for the town I would be interested in hearing it before deciding on what to do, as long as that plan did not include a Starbucks or a bank. Paul's points are well taken as to the issues related to its proximity to the Belle Ave exit. Perhaps the money could be used to revitalize the Votee canteen building so it did not flood out as it does now. Do we have an identified need for more meeting space? Lets not create structures with no predefined need.

Hey how about a meeting place on Cedar Lane! Maybe where an old resturant use to be and put a big old Walgreens there!!!

Based on the April 23 Council meeting, the $20,000 ADA bathroom will be going into this old building. The Manager says it needs $17,000 in additional foundation repairs. I don't recall if there is an ADA ramp to get those who need to use the ADA bathroom into the building. But still this is old construction that will need to be heated and cooled, have security and cameras, insurance. Frankly, it reminds me of the Bates Motel from the movie "Psycho".

As far as those who want to use it for meetings, it may be better to rent a meeting room at the Glenpoint than go thru this expenditure. For eight meetings a year, it might be under $1,000 a year cost to the township. Security, parking, heating and cooling, ADA bathrooms are all included. Consider that against the proposed cost and I think the answer is clear.

I know a group who can purchase this property for a memorial.

A memorial to folly. This town council and manager are nuts.