While Saint Peter’s University’s (SPU) approved 21-story tower with apartments, student housing, a movie theater, a supermarket, and restaurants has yet to materialize in Jersey City’s McGinley Square neighborhood, the school has begun planning for a smaller development closer to campus.
SPU has filed an application with the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment in connection with its plan to construct a six-story student dormitory at 762 Montgomery Street across from the McGinley Square Pub. The university is seeking to build 72 units on the property with a total of 151 beds, according to a legal notice. Four signs are planned for the new building as well.
The site, located just west of Bergen Avenue and just east of the university’s Mac Mahon Student Center, appears on the campus map as one of the school’s buildings. City tax records also show that the property, which contains a nondescript two-story building, is owned by SPU.
In order to move forward with the project, the university is seeking Preliminary and Final Site Plan approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustment along with variances such as use, rear yard setback, and height. The board is scheduled to take up the matter on Thursday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m.
SPU is among the smallest universities in the region. 35 percent of undergraduate students reside on campus, according to the university. The vast majority of undergraduate students are from the Garden State.
Currently, SPU has seven housing options for students, including Veteran’s Memorial Court, Millennium Hall, and Durant Hall. Back in 2014, plans for the Saint Peter’s Tower at McGinley Square were revealed. The massive development at 688 Montgomery Street was expected to be the largest, by far, in the immediate vicinity and include 300 beds for SPU students along with plenty of other amenities. However, the project has not yet come to fruition.
Note to readers: The dates that applications are scheduled to be heard by the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment and other commissions are subject to change.
