Lambertville Extends Lease Agreement With Fisherman’s Mark

The City of Lambertville Council voted to extend their lease agreement with Fisherman’s Mark to use a portion of the city-owned property on 260 North Main Street for another six months. 

The vote came at a council meeting last month.

Fisherman’s Mark has leased the city-owned property since December 2021 and the extension will allow them to continue operations into 2024. 

Fisherman’s Mark is a New Jersey-based nonprofit that focuses on serving vulnerable communities within Hunterdon County and New Jersey at large. The organization’s main focus is on providing a food pantry to the community. They’ve been around for four decades and their Lambertville storefront is open five days a week. 

The property on North Main Street is located where the old Homestead Market used to be. 

Fisherman’s Mark currently pays $1,000 in rent to Lambertville for providing them with this space, according to City Attorney William Opel.

Because the city owns the property, it is allowed to lease it to a nonprofit with a reduced price, Opel explained.

Officials said that because Fisherman’s Mark is a robust nonprofit, Lambertville sees a benefit to leasing this property to them because it benefits the community by providing a food pantry.

As stated in the documents, Fisherman’s Mark can only use the property for a nonprofit food pantry. 

Since its inception in 2021, this ordinance permitting the lease has been approved and thereby extended by two different city councils. 

During the public comment session of the meeting when this ordinance was passed, several residents asked how much Fisherman’s Mark was paying the city to rent the property. Several residents also said they had a difficult time finding the ordinance on public record.

Mayor Andrew Nowick directed City Clerk Cynthia Ege to send the ordinance to residents who had questions on it. 

The city council is working on what the property’s future holds, Nowick said. 

The lease extension doesn’t mean the city council isn’t committed to selling the property in the future, Councilman Evan Lide noted.