Last week the Jersey City Planning Board voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the Paulus Hook Redevelopment Plan that paves the way for a new tower at the corner of Warren Street and Christopher Columbus Drive.
The amendment comes alongside a $370 million proposal by L+M Development Partners to build up to a 60-story residential tower on the site. The lot in question is currently being used as parking for residents of the Paulus Hook Towers at 100 Montgomery Street.
As it stands now, the lot falls within the Paulus Hook Redevelopment Plan. The amendment allows for the removal of the site from its current redevelopment plan, allowing the creation of a new redevelopment plan specific to the site.
Designed by New York-based Handel Architects LLP, preliminary plans call for up to a 60-story tower with 750 residential units along with street level retail, parking and a public plaza. Five percent of the units will be set aside as affordable.
As a give back to the community, the developers are building a brand new 35,000 square foot public school on the site that will be sold to the Jersey City Board of Education for $1.
The tower will sit at the north-west corner of the site with the school sitting to the east. According to Blake Middleton, Partner at Handel Architects, the plan is to “re-establish the street wall” on all sides of the lot to create a more cohesive city block.
L+M Development Partners are fairly new to Jersey City but have experience elsewhere in the state. They facilitated the redevelopment of the Hahne Building and as well as the former New Jersey Bell Headquarters in Newark.
Although the amendment passed, a final site plan would still need to go before the Planning Board for approval.
[gmap height=”250px”]25 Christopher Columbus Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07302[/gmap]
25 Christopher Columbus Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07302
