An underutilized property in East Orange, not far from the Brick Church train station, is slated to be revitalized into a multi-family complex after a green light from local officials.
During their November 5 meeting, the East Orange Planning Board unanimously approved a 115-unit residential development at 418-430 William Street. The project is located in the Arts and Culture District of the city’s Transit Village District Redevelopment Area and currently consists of an auto mechanic facility.
The development will consist of a seven-story building with a basement and ground-level covered parking, plus residential apartments on the upper six floors. The project hopes to enhance the pedestrian experience and public rights-of-way through the design of a compact urban environment.
Brian Taylor, President of Taylor Architecture and Design, says that the development was designed to minimize automobile use by maximizing the appeal of mass transit, to encourage reduced parking and shared-use parking solutions, to support the historic and architectural integrity of the community, and to support local arts and culture.
The apartments themselves will be a mix of 7 studios, 84 one-bedrooms, and 24 two-bedrooms. The building will offer over 3,000 square feet of indoor amenity space, outdoor rooftop amenities, recessed balconies, bike storage, a package room, a trash chute, and secure, covered parking.
The 54 parking spaces will be in the form of a mechanical parking system, while the development’s exterior will utilize a variety of materials, including ironspot brick, composite or metal panels, aluminum coping, and a composite band above the first floor.
430 William Street was granted variances from current zoning during approval related to front and rear yard setbacks, lot coverage, and de minimus exceptions for mechanical parking space dimensions and drive aisle width. A groundbreaking date for the project has not been announced.
