A new high-rise development is being proposed in Northern New Jersey, but unlike other recent projects, the building is not planned for an urban center like Newark or Jersey City.
Challenger 60, LLC is seeking to construct the development in question at 60 Challenger Road, a roughly four-acre property situated between an AMC movie theater and the New Jersey Turnpike in the Bergen County village of Ridgefield Park. The company is proposing a 19-story mixed-use tower with 552 residential units and 14,000 square feet of commercial space, according to a public notice from late June.
The development would include close to 920 parking spaces. Ten percent of the residential units would be reserved for “affordable housing.”
“The property is partially overgrown and partially improved with an existing parking lot,” according to the notice, which added that “the Village [of Ridgefield Park] is the owner of the property and the applicant has made this application with the Village’s consent.”
Although 60 Challenger Road is a somewhat unconventional location for a development proposal of this sort, there is a notable corporate presence nearby with Samsung and Kumon having sizable office operations along Challenger Road. Located near Overpeck Creek and Overpeck County Park, this area is served on a limited basis by New Jersey Transit’s 167 bus to Union City, Teaneck, Harrington Park, and Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Filings from the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services show that Challenger 60, LLC was formed in 2018 by John L. Sikora and that Joshua Weiner was listed as the registered agent. The company’s registered address is in an Eatontown office building.
The developer is seeking Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan approval from the Ridgefield Park Planning Board, which is scheduled to discuss the application today, July 6, at 7:30 p.m., according to the notice.
Note to readers: The dates that applications are scheduled to be heard by the Ridgefield Park Planning Board and other commissions are subject to change.
