A historic building in Jersey City’s Hamilton Park neighborhood is set to undergo a renovation that will expand the property while better blending into the streetscape.
During a January meeting, Jersey City’s Zoning Board greenlit a plan to revamp a double lot property at 240 7th Street. The structure on the land has stood a long time; cartographic evidence from Jersey City’s records suggests the existing building possibly incorporated an earlier house built on the land prior to 1873.
The current ownership sought and received approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission last October and the work will restore the property while increasing the unit size from five to eight units. Drawn up by MVMK Architecture + Design, the primary will see the existing four-story building gain a three-story rear extension.
The effort will restore many of the former features of the building, which sits within the Hamilton Park Historic District. Vinyl siding on the current property will be removed and replaced with brickface on the first floor, while the overhaul will add a curved stairwell on the side of the building to access the second floor.
The living spaces in the revamped property will break down as two studios, a single one-bedroom, and five two-bedroom units. The renovation of 240 7th Street will add a proper rear yard and a fourth story roof deck along with a stormwater detention system to assist with rainwater and flooding concerns.
The zoning board granted the project a single variance for expansion of a non-confirming use when approving the application. A timeline for when construction could begin at the property has not been announced.
