The northern end of Downtown Jersey City continues to transform after years of neglect and a project with significant affordable housing that has been in the works for almost four years has finally been green lit by officials.
Plans first emerged for eight parcels of land around 619 Marin Boulevard back in 2019 when Pegasus Partners purchased the land. The parcels of land include the former home of pet resort Jersey City Unleashed and fall within the Jersey Avenue Light Rail Redevelopment Plan.
Jersey City’s Planning Board unanimously approved a revitalization proposal at the properties during their October 24 meeting. The lots included are 173-183 Sixteenth Street, 180 Fifteenth Street, and 619 Marin Boulevard, with two smaller existing buildings along Fifteenth Street not included in the plan slated to remain following the approvals.
Designed by Hoboken-based MHS Architecture, the plan calls for two 14-story towers connected by a shared podium. The main building lobby will be located along Marin Boulevard and provide access through the podium to the two residential towers above.
The towers themselves will both top out at just over 160 feet and include a total of 613 residential units. 15% of those apartments, or 92 of them, are to be designated as affordable housing under the approved plan.
The residential component skews a bit smaller, breaking down as 176 studios, 309 one-bedrooms, 80 two-bedrooms, and 48 three-bedroom units. 200 parking spaces in a garage are included in the plan, as is space for 308 bicycles.
The development hopes to liven up the pedestrian experience along the street a bit by including 5,120 square feet of ground floor retail split between three storefronts. One 2,200 square foot storefront will sit at the corner of Marin Boulevard and 16th Street, while two other smaller retail spaces will run along the 15th Street side of the property.
Perks for future residents at the property include a 1,700 square foot resident lounge and a 2,400 square foot fitness center. The top of the development’s base on the second floor will include an outdoor deck with pool, while the roofs of both towers will include green roofs plus an additional roof deck plus amenity space.
The exterior of the development is set to utilize a combination of brick, masonry, and concrete components. Jersey City hopes to eventually widen Marin Boulevard to accommodate future bicycle infrastructure and the planning department determined that the approved project accommodates that planned improvement.
The project is perched in an area that is starting to see significant changes and is situated just a block away from the $500 million planned redevelopment of the Holland Gardens housing complex. An estimated timeline for construction to begin at 619 Marin Boulevard has not been announced.
