A new development is still planned for a property opposite the Roberto Clemente Sports Complex in Jersey City’s Ward E. However, the specifics of the proposal have been altered since the plans for the building were first unveiled.
An eight-story mixed-use development is on the books for 387 8th Street, a property located in the new Enos Jones Redevelopment Plan Area at the corner of Division Street. A resolution from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) shows that Behnam Torrei’s RAFA Realty, LLC is now planning 75 residential units atop 4,449 square foot of commercial space. A garage with 94 parking spaces is also planned.
Torrei is the owner of BGT Enterprises, which is responsible for several projects in Downtown Jersey City.
The JCRA Board of Commissioners designated Torrei’s LLC as the property’s redeveloper during its meeting on August 21, with the resolution noting that the redevelopment plan “grants that all developers are eligible to receive a height or density bonus if the redeveloper agrees to contribute to the development and/or enhancement of the Enos Jones Park.” RAFA Realty, LLC reportedly stated in its application that it will contribute funding for the park.
Previously, another development had been proposed for this property, which is also known as the Amcare site because of the medical transportation company that had long operated there. In 2016, we reported that a seven-story building was approved by the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment. The structure was expected to include 59 condominiums, parking, a gym, and a rooftop deck.
Last year, the developer obtained another approval that upped the unit count to 63 units and 75 parking spaces and the number of stories from 7 to 8.
Update – After publication, Behnam Torrei contacted us with the following quote. “The new building is following the Enos Jones Park Redevelopment Plan (requiring a $35K payment for each additional unit). Our new building is the same mass and SqF as before; we have just made our larger units into smaller units and making a $420K contribution to the Enos Jones Park (12 additional units). No variances are being seek-ed for this move.”
Correction – A previous title of this article stated 16 more units would be added. It has been corrected to say only 12 units will be added.
