The northern end of Hoboken continues to draw interest from developers and a new proposal is looking to add a pair of high-rises, a new public plaza, and streetscape improvements to a formerly industrial section of the city.
During a community meeting on December 19, plans were presented to revitalize an entire block of 1500 Grand Street. The lot, which backs all the way up to Adams Street, is home to a parking lot and a building formerly occupied by Poggi Press.
The site has some recent controversial history, as some officials in Hoboken had discussed seizing the property via eminent domain and building a $192 million community center and Department of Public Works. That plan eventually failed, as a $48 million bonding ordinance to finance the project was voted down by the City Council.
Per TapInto, officials eventually dropped those plans and eventually settled on a property on Jefferson Street for their DPW site.
Advance Realty is now pitching a two-tower proposal for the site. The company has a big presence in the neighborhood and is behind a nearby 52-unit development on Willow Avenue that recently began construction.
Their plans for 1500 Grand Street have been drawn up by MHS Architecture and include a total of 423 residential units. The smaller structure, dubbed Building 4A, would be built on the 15th Street side of the property and rise eight floors and include 115 residential units.
8,180 square feet of amenity space would be included in the first building, as would 14,630 square feet of retail along 15th Street. The storefronts would face 15th Street, which would be revamped to include a wide promenade complete with a dedicated bike line under the proposal.
The second component of the plan, Building 4B, would be taller and top out at 12 stories. 308 residential units and 10,775 square feet of indoor amenity space would be included in this component, which includes plans for an outdoor terrace with a pool.
Per Hoboken’s ordinances, 10% of the development’s total residences would need to be set aside as affordable housing units.
Plans for Building 4B include 175 total parking spaces situated in an interior to be entered along 16th Street. Both towers sport a tiered setback design to allow light and would utilize charcoal-style brick on the bases with metal and glass components on the higher floors.
The two buildings would be separated by a linear park between the structures spanning 11,680 square feet, which is about 2% more greenery than required. Building 4B would also include retail spaces fronting the plaza, which is designed to link up with a linear park that is already approved as part of a plan to revitalize 1500 Clinton Street across the way.
The proposal requires a few amendments to Hoboken’s North End Redevelopment Plan, the most significant of which involves revising the maximum building heights that are allowed.
The plan calls for Building 4A to rise 99 feet above the Designated Flood Elevation (DFE) when only 80 feet in height is allowed, while Building 4B rises 143 feet above DFE where only 100 feet is allowed.
The project would also need a change to the plan that would convert site 4A from a zoned commercial building to a residential one.
Besides the City Council signing off on the changes, Advance Realty would also need to reach a redevelopment agreement with Hoboken and gain separate planning board approval before the proposal moves forward.
