Building in The Heights doesn’t seem to be slowing down, and a new proposal has come to light that would potentially add 48 units of housing and five separate storefronts to one of the neighborhood’s most prominent streets.
Earlier this year, longtime Heights staple Palisade Lumber announced they were closing after over 30 years in business. Owner Dan Goff had publicly stated his desire to redevelop the property, and a special meeting of the Riverview Neighborhood Association was held last Monday where he presented his proposal for the land.
Designed by Hoboken-based Minervini Vandermark, the full address of the property is 418-434 Palisade Avenue and the project combines a whopping 12 lots. Everything currently on site would be demolished under the plan, replaced with a long building that would rise five stories, with portions tiered at four and three stories.
The tallest part of the structure would rise 54 feet, and the smaller sections of the development would help create space for private terraces featured in certain units. Aesthetically, the project will sport windows of various sizes, and one four-story section will feature rounded arches. The building’s exterior will utilize brick stucco, cast stone, and steel components, giving it a slightly industrial look. The words “Lumber House” appear on a rendering for the development, a nod to the property’s past.
The project would be built in three phases and include 48 total living spaces, including nine live/work units, plus 41 interior parking spots accessed by a garage entrance along Palisade Avenue. The Riverview Neighborhood Association says the developer intends to sell the units as condominiums, which would be a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom spaces. Rear-facing terraces are part of the development, and three common decks will be built on the roof, which will also feature a green roof component.
The project as currently proposed features an ambitious five-section retail component. Three ground floor storefronts are included in the plan, one of 1,400-square feet and the other two each over 2,000-square feet. Additionally, phases two and three of the development will both have basement-level retail, with two spaces over 2,000-square feet apiece.
No affordable housing component is presently included in the plan, and the project doesn’t currently conform to the neighborhood’s R-2 zoning. If eventually approved by the Zoning Board, the development would need variances for building height, density, max building coverage, max lot coverage, parking, and rear yard setbacks. A use variance would also be needed, as multi-family townhouses are all that’s allowed in the R-2 zone, bringing the total to seven.
The Riverview Neighborhood Association will be taking a vote on this project at their monthly meeting on November 14th. While only members of the association are eligible to vote, the meeting, being held at 178 Ogden Avenue, is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm.
