A new proposal along one of New Brunswick’s fastest growing corridors has been given the full green light. The project will replace a parking garage with a high-rise that hopes to add to an emerging and walkable live-work-play environment.
During their October 2 meeting, New Brunswick’s planning board signed off on an application to revitalize a 24,000 square foot lot at 11 Spring Street. Currently home to a parking garage, the plan aims to demolish that structure and replace it with a 342-unit mixed use development that would represent a $120 million investment.
The endeavor comes from Boraie Development, who were designated the redeveloper of the site by the New Brunswick Housing Authority back in August. Their latest project, which is designed by MHS Architecture and slated to rise at Spring Street’s intersection with Church Street, also includes a 1,718 square foot retail space on the ground floor.
The residential units at the complex will break down as 25 studios, 246 one-bedrooms, and 71 two-bedroom spaces. The development will set aside 20% of the residences as affordable housing units and will include a parking garage with 112 spaces.
The project will also feature amenities such as fitness and yoga studios, community rooms, and co-working spaces. Construction is expected to commence within 18 months of the execution of a final redevelopment agreement with New Brunswick, with the project estimated to be completed within 24 months.
Boraie’s tower is slated to rise across the street from the site of what will be the Health + Life Science Exchange, or HELIX. The first component of the three-phase project is currently under construction and will consist of a New Jersey Innovation HUB, the new home of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a Rutgers translational research facility.
The development of that project will liven up the streetscape a bit, as it includes a 10,000-square-foot market hall with food options and a 3,000-square-foot restaurant that opens onto a 70-foot-wide plaza. Boraie’s tower hopes to add to that revitalization, aiming to further transform the neighborhood around New Brunswick’s train station.
