Major changes are coming to the former Empire Hotel located at 2 Harmon Plaza off Meadowlands Parkway. First opened in 1978, the property along the Hackensack River remained vacant and unused for almost a decade and was in severe disrepair until the new owners took over. The interior of the hotel is now being demolished and will be refurbished as an upgraded facility that will continue to be used as a hotel. Several years ago, a developer proposed to convert the building into residential units which the Town did not support.
Welcoming the new upgrades, Mayor Michael Gonnelli said, “Any time a property the size of the Empire Hotel is vacant, it is not good for our Town. That property was a blight for several years and we had many problems with it. The Town even fined the owner for several violations. I am glad the new owner is now responsibly making renovations, and I look forward to the opening of the new hotel.”