A block of Bergen-Lafayette along one of the neighborhood’s fastest-growing corridors is slated to gain more housing and retail as Jersey City has given the green light to another modern development.
During their June 14 meeting, the city’s planning board unanimously approved an application to revitalize a rectangular lot at 99 Monitor Street. The project combines seven different lots along the street’s intersection with Johnston Avenue, all of which are currently vacant and situated a short walk from the Liberty State Park Light Rail station.
The land, owned by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, spans 19,000 square feet and is situated across the street from one of the area’s most notorious buildings. The abandoned warehouse at 125 Monitor Street has been the subject of a series of condemnations and counter lawsuits over the years despite the area’s fairly rapid revitalization.
FDAD Maple LLC, a subsidiary of Hoboken-based Fields Grade, submitted the plans to revamp the property. Designed by Fogarty Finger, the approved development will connect with the neighboring 89 Monitor Street to form a cohesive block.
The scheme calls for a six-story building that tops out at just over 77 feet featuring a rounded edge along the property’s corner. The exterior of the complex will utilize gray and green thin brick complemented by aluminum window finishes, while the first floors are slated to include one 8,190 square foot retail space plus a garage with 16 off-street parking spaces plus 45 spots for bicycles.
The rest of the development includes 87 dwelling units, breaking down as 25 studios, 40 one-bedrooms, 21 two-bedrooms, and one three-bedroom unit. Five of those spaces will be set aside as affordable housing for those with moderate incomes, or 50% to 80% of the neighborhood’s Area Median Income (AMI).
Other features at the development include a rooftop with an outdoor recreation portion, a pool area, and a green roof section. The property is located within the Transit-Oriented Development West Zone of the Morris Canal Redevelopment Area and was granted a minor variance from the board related to the horizontal projection of awnings from the façade of the building.
While a groundbreaking for the project has not been announced, the latest project joins a development parade in the neighborhood. The green light was granted to revamp a nearby warehouse on Monitor Street earlier this year and recently built apartment buildings like Solaris Lofts, the Garabrant, and 295J have transformed the landscape.
Johnston Avenue, the stretch that the approved building fronts, is slated to gain several new developments in the near future following a slew of approvals earlier this year. The road will additionally serve as home to the area’s first proper high-rise, which should go vertical in the coming months.
