UPDATED: Open Space Victory - Montville Wins Condursos Land Auction
17 Sep, 2025 - Tranzon Auction Properties
As seen on TAPinto.com
MONTVILLE, NJ – Hugs and shouts of victory followed the township’s win at the Sept. 17 auction of the 28.79-acre Condurso’s garden center property, as the township’s $6 million bid won the day.
Township attorneys, Township Committee Member Frank Cooney, Mayor Matt Kayne and Township Administrator June Hercek came for the auction, with Hercek “holding the paddle.”
Bidding opened at a million, and within 37 seconds was up to $4 million. Bidding seemed to level out at $4,750,000, but suddenly another bidder held up his paddle. Hercek surpassed him with a bid of $5 million. That bidder and Hercek went neck and neck by units of $100,000 until bidding stalled at $5.6, when the auctioneer decided to take a two-minute break with Hercek in the lead. A third bidder jumped in at $5.9 million but ultimately, the township won out.
Hercek told reporters at the auction that the land will be used for open space.
Kayne said at the auction that, “We’re very pleased that we won this auction. We feel that, for the future of the township, this is an important piece of property, and it’s an exciting day for the residents and for the entire Township of Montville.”
When asked if the township would have gone over the $5,900,000 bond ordinance passed in a special meeting on Aug. 19 that the township had appropriated, Township Attorney Fred Semrau said, “I think that was part of internal discussions that the Township Committee was having as we led up to this point.”
“We were certainly concerned,” Kayne confirmed. “We had been looking into this property for quite some time. We were prepared to do what it takes to get this property within a realistic number.”
“The strategy, to do this, as a public entity, is something you just don’t see,” Semrau said. “To carry this through, from start to finish, is a great success for Montville. The governing body did a tremendous job to make sure that we got on this track.”
The land, which is laid out along River Road, comes with approximately 5,300 sq. ft. of retail/office building space, a 1,600 square-foot single-family house, storage sheds, barns, and garages. It is directly adjacent to the municipal baseball fields and Lazar Middle School.
The seller was Luciano Realty, LLC, with Tranzon Auction Properties running the auction. The town will have to pay an 8 percent auction fee -- almost half a million dollars.
Read more about the history of the land here.