A state office building near one of Jersey City’s biggest transit hubs could soon be replaced with another pair of residential towers as a plan to add yet more housing to Journal Square has taken a step forward.
During their June 25 meeting, Jersey City’s Planning Board granted preliminary approval to revamp a 1.39-acre parcel at 438 Summit Avenue. The triangle-shaped lot, which is elevated next to trackage for the PATH train, is currently home to the Jersey City State Office Building that serves as home to the Department of Motor Vehicles and other government divisions.
The plan to redevelop the property comes courtesy of 438 Realty Associates LLC, a company registered out of Newark. The current plan is fully compliant with zoning in the Journal Square 2060 Redevelopment Plan as it stands today and would demolish everything at the property.
Drawn up by Hoboken-based MVMK Architecture + Design, the future of 438 Summit Avenue involves two 25-story mixed-use towers that would top out at 265 feet. A total of 709 units are included in the project, which would skew smaller and break down as 220 studios, 384 one-bedrooms, 90 two-bedrooms, and 15 three-bedroom residences.
The ground floor of the development would feature a double-height retail space, with 3,050 square feet on the first floor and 3,100 square feet on the second. The two high-rises would be connected by a three-story base that includes a third-floor amenity facility spanning 25,700 square feet to be accessible from both buildings.
The roof of the base on the fourth floor would additionally feature an outdoor terrace between the towers, while the top of both towers would have indoor common amenity spaces spanning over 2,000 square feet plus outdoor pools areas.
170 parking spaces for cars and 359 spots for bicycles are included in the project’s basement. The exterior of the development, which would rise across from the soon-to-open 425 Summit Avenue, would consist of white brick components and composite aluminum panels.
The presentation before the Planning Board did not indicate exactly where the DMV and other offices would be relocated if the proposal moves forward. The preliminary approvals mean that the developers will have to coordinate with engineering and traffic before final approval is granted and the project can move forward.
Attorneys for the developer asked that the preliminary approvals be in effect for a five-year span, a request the board granted. The move is perhaps an indicator that the project is a long-term effort, and the state offices don’t appear to be in danger of leaving any time soon.
