Over the last several years, the area around Orange’s main train station has started to see significant changes as a result of new development, but a walk just a few yards away from the platforms shows that even more work is underway.
The property at 377 Crane Street near I-280 was once largely invisible from the train station, despite sitting across the street from the eastbound station house. The parcel, long home to an industrial operation and offices for a food coloring manufacturer called Lycored, often could not be clearly seen from the station parking lot due to trees.
Today, the trees are no longer standing and construction crews and equipment can be found at 377 Crane Street.
A project that is now being branded as Essex & Crane by Vermella is being built at the site by Russo Development. Preliminary work has begun on the complex, which was previously referred to as Vermella at Orange Station.
Last year, Adam Pasternack of Russo Development told Jersey Digs that the 209-unit project will contain 65 studios, 117 one-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units, with none being designated as “affordable.”
Vermella’s website says that Essex & Crane is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022. Construction is slated to cost $55 million, according to a municipal presentation from June.
Just a stone’s throw away at the corner of South Day Street and Freeway Drive West, work is much further along on the first phase of the Orange Crossing developments from Peek Properties.
This building, which is branded on Peek’s website as Apex Orange Crossing, has topped out and is reportedly set to be finished in the spring. The presentation estimates construction on this six-story project costing $13.5 million and notes that 50 units are planned.
The second phase, known as Summit Orange Crossing, would be a 104-unit building, according to Peek’s website.
These projects are in addition to completed ones such as the five-story buildings at 50 and 55 South Essex Avenue and the Linc at Orange Station complex across the tracks. There are also plans for a 201-unit complex from Russo on nearby Lincoln Avenue.
