Planning board recommends redevelopment designation for former Hilton hotel on Tyson Road, citing mold and structural hazards

The Woodcliff Lake Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the former Hilton hotel property on Tyson Road be designated an area in need of redevelopment, citing widespread interior and exterior deterioration that the planning consultant said made the buildings unsafe for occupancy.

Dan Hin, senior project planner at DMR Architects, told the board that the 20-acre property—described in the study as a 338-room hotel with banquet spaces—showed evidence of widespread mold, standing water infiltration, exposed mechanical systems and asbestos abatement conducted during partial demolition. “The building had widespread mold … not conducive to a healthy place to be sleeping or working,” Hin said during his presentation.

DMR noted the hotel’s systems and exterior features had been damaged and that ADA access issues and parking-area deterioration further undermined its suitability for continued use. Hin said the study was authorized by resolution 24-222 and performed without condemnation; he also cautioned that some observed conditions may have been exacerbated by partial demolition, but the statutory assessment is based on conditions at the time the study was authorized.

Board members asked about occupancy history; a PowerPoint slide cited a cessation of operations in February 2024, and Hin said tax revenue trends and other records indicated the property’s revenue and use had declined prior to demolition activity. The report did not include a detailed multi-year occupancy table in the packet presented to the board.

During public comment, Rudolph Millian, a 28-year Woodcliff Lake resident and CEO of Woodcliff Realty Advisors, urged the board to consider a broader redevelopment analysis of the surrounding Tyson Boulevard commercial corridor rather than only parcel-by-parcel studies. “The big concern is the entire area,” Millian said, arguing the town should evaluate the larger district for mixed uses including boutique hotels, retail and residential.

A board member said the governing body asked the planning board to study this specific property and noted broader area studies would require separate authorization and participation by other property owners. On a motion to recommend designation, the board recorded a unanimous vote in favor and forwarded the study and recommendation to the governing body.

The governing body will decide whether to formally designate the property and whether to adopt a redevelopment plan, solicit proposals or require further study. The planning board’s action was limited to the recommendation; no change to zoning or immediate redevelopment plan was adopted at the meeting.

Provenance: Planner presentation and findings SEG 536–576 and SEG 579–637; public comment by Rudolph Millian SEG 816–877; motion and vote SEG 1003–1070.

Authorities: Study authorized under local resolution 24-222 and DMR’s presentation referenced state statutory criteria for redevelopment designation.