A controversial post-industrial property along the city’s western edge took a step toward being revitalized last week and Jersey Digs has uncovered what exactly could be coming to the site if an agreement is struck later this year.
During their January 15 meeting, Hoboken’s city council approved a resolution related to a 1.43-acre parcel at 800-822 Monroe Street. The council’s move gave a company called Applied Monroe Lender LLC a conditional designation as redeveloper of the site, and the parties will now begin negotiating a deal to bring new life to the property.
Applied Monroe Lender is a subsidiary of Ironstate Development and the company has been performing an environmental cleanup of the property for some time. The Levolor Blind Manufacturing Company operated at the land from 1951 through 1985 and various contamination leftover from that era is still being remediated, a reality that has led to complaints about noxious odors coming from the property that go back over a year.
Paperwork submitted to the city by Ironstate contains good news for locals; the remediation of the 800 Monroe site is expected to be completed during this year’s first quarter. As for what the post-cleanup property could look like, the company is pitching a tiered mixed-use development that rises 120 feet at its highest point.
Designed by New York-based BKSK Architects, the tallest portions of the development would include ten floors sporting 186 rental units along with an equal number of parking spaces. The residential portion includes one three-bedroom space along with 135 one-bedrooms and 50 two-bedroom units, some of which will feature either interior-facing private terraces or outdoor space.
The proposal for 800 Monroe includes 2,228 square feet of amenity space like a third-floor common courtyard that will sport two pools, seating, and a lounge. Common areas are scattered throughout the building and the property’s roof is set to include a dog run. Other planned facilities like bike storage areas and a pet cleaning station round out the building’s amenities.
The neighborhood would benefit a bit from 800 Monroe’s redevelopment, as a public outdoor terrace would be created outside the building along 8th Street. Two retail storefronts totaling about 1,900 square feet at the corners of Monroe and Jackson streets are in the plans, as is a subsurface stormwater detention system to assist with flooding that sometimes plagues the area.
The look of the building is defined by brick and flush cast stone on the exterior, while glass and metal components on the development’s windows create a decidedly open feel. The property falls within Zone 2 of Hoboken’s Northwest Industrial Redevelopment Plan and the project as currently pitched complies with the existing zoning of the area.
There are still several steps before any vertical construction begins at the property, but Ironstate is hopeful 2020 could be a big year for the site. Assuming the environmental remediation does wrap up in the next few months, a timeline Ironstate submitted to the city says they are hopeful a redevelopment agreement and planning board approvals will be obtained by April of this year.
If that occurs, the company says they could break ground on the project during 2020’s 4th quarter and potentially finish construction by the end of 2022. Those revelations indicate that the coming months could be quite eventful for a property that’s long been a sore spot, but Hoboken officials say the project’s details aren’t set in stone.
“While a conditionally designated redeveloper has been authorized by the City Council, a final redevelopment agreement will be negotiated in the coming months that will provide specifications for the project including building height, parking, amenities, and more,” says city spokesperson Vijay Chaudhuri. “A proposed agreement will take into account feedback from the public through community meetings that will be promoted by the City.”
