Politics & Government

Restaurant, Bar Could Come to Train Station

Mayor Bruce Harris said New Jersey Transit will release a request for proposals for the project later this year.

The Chatham New Jersey Transit Station could soon be a place to do far more than grab a coffee in the mornings and board a train.

The lease for the current concession stand in the Chatham station will soon come to an end, and New Jersey Transit will look at getting a new vendor, still likely an eatery of some kind, with longer hours and possibly a bar.

"I think this is something that could be really great for Chatham Borough," Mayor Bruce A. Harris said.

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Chatham train station has a layout which Harris said is identical to the Short Hills station. Short Hills has a cafe, The Boxcar, which serves coffee and pastries in the morning, then transforms into a sit-down eatery in the afternoon. Harris said he hopes for a similar vendor to come to Chatham Borough.

"Because it's New Jersey Transit, there is a special liquor license that would be available to an operator ... above and beyond the licenses that we already have in the borough," Harris said.

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Harris read aloud from a letter he received from NJ Transit. The letter said a request for Expressions of Interest will be posted on NJ Transit's website within a few weeks, and interested companies can contact NJ Transit for their specific requirements for any possible future business. Those requirements will be compiled in a document called a Request for Proposals (RFPs) and will only be available to people who submit Expressions of Interest.

NJ Transit will include requirements designed to ensure any potential vendor does not impede railroad operations or customer accessibility.

Harris said he has been in communication with New Jersey Transit about future uses of the the station since late summer 2012.

"Nothing is going to happen right away," Harris said.


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