A new development that will create affordable housing and add a storefront to one of Jersey City’s major thoroughfares is officially underway as work has begun to revitalize a corner near a hub on the west side.
Jersey City dignitaries and principals from Elizabeth-based Tag Development officially held a groundbreaking ceremony for a project on the corner of Orient Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The project is just a stone’s throw from the massive City Hall annex and the Public Safety headquarters and not far from a station along the Hudson Bergen Light Rail.
Jersey Digs first reported on the project at 336-340 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive back in late 2020. The exterior of the development has been redesigned since those days, but the project will still rise six stories and top out at 65 feet.
Designed by Hampton Hill Architecture, the 25 residences at the project break down as 20 one-bedrooms and five two-bedroom spaces. No off-street parking is included in the development, but one affordable housing unit is included in the plans.
A ground floor storefront spanning about 1,700 square feet will add to the retail along MLK Drive, while a 782 square foot paved common roof deck will provide an amenity for future residents.
The development will add three new street trees to the landscape and is set to utilize granite red brick on the first three floors, with the remainder sporting aluminum panels.
The 50×80 lot was previously home to a building that contained the Emmanuel Temple Church of God in Christ, but that the structure was partially demolished almost a decade ago due to concerns that it could have collapsed.
The lot had been owned by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency since, so the groundbreaking is a welcome sign for a long-vacant property. As estimated completion date for the new development has not been announced.
