While Hackensack’s apartment rental growth has mainly been focused on downtown and the area around Hackensack University Medical Center, a new mixed-use development near the Anderson Street train station is set to redefine one of the city’s least developed neighborhoods – an area city officials have sought to redevelop for years.
Fouerti Realty’s apartment project, The Forte, is located at 95 Anderson Street and comprises more than 315,000 square feet of apartment and commercial space, far surpassing the size of any existing building in the area surrounding the train station. It includes 4,000 square feet of commercial space with more than 300 feet of frontage, and 222 luxury apartments including studio, one and two-bedroom units.
The project includes concierge service, a pool, fitness center, co-working space, 238 covered parking spaces, a pool, rooftop lounge and a resident café, providing a style of living unlike any of the existing apartments in the neighborhood.
Albert Fouerti, a manger at Fouerti and a co-owner of the property told Jersey Digs that leasing is set to begin in March. The development is geared to foster community engagement and build on the success of the existing retail and restaurants in the area, he said.
“Our goal with The Forte is to build more than just a residential development — we aim to establish a vibrant, connected community that reflects Hackensack’s potential as a premier destination in Bergen County,” Albert Fouerti said. “Anderson Street, with its proximity to the train station, provides unparalleled accessibility for residents commuting to nearby towns or New York City.”
Fouerti said the price tag for the project will exceed $100 million, but that commercial leasing has been promising. Three retailers, an Asian restaurant, a bagel shop and a shipping company have signed leases at The Forte, building on the neighborhood’s appeal for its numerous casual restaurants and retailers.
A report in RE-NJ from 2021 said the developers purchased a four-parcel assemblage that included two vacant buildings. Property records show the site was sold for $875,000 in June of the same year and included buildings from as far back as 1907.
Despite the decades-long trend of real estate developers favoring development at or near train stations with access to mass transit to New York City, the Anderson Street station in Hackensack, which is located four stops from the Secaucus Junction station, has been largely shunned by developers.
The neighborhood is dotted with local Asian, Caribbean and Hispanic restaurants, as well as local shops. There is a local watering hole next to the train station and a number of vacant and undeveloped parcels in the surrounding areas.
The largest parcel in the neighborhood, located across the train tracks from The Forte, is a 2.8-acre lot with three commercial buildings that has been the subject of redevelopment plans by city officials. In 2022, they proposed a redevelopment plan that sought to capitalize on the success of the downtown area, as well as the neighborhood’s retail and restaurants, and would see this site redeveloped.
The site, located at 123 Anderson St. was sold to developer Hornrock Properties for $10.5 million in May, according to a report in RE-NJ. The developer, who co-developed the 220-unit Ivy Green apartment project at 1 Park Ave. in downtown Hackensack, first intended to replace the parking lot, gas station and commercial buildings with an apartment complex that includes 350 units. The city planning board denied an application from the developer in July, but a report in NorthJersey.com from December said the board voted unanimously to approve the plan for 340 units with 3,500 square feet of commercial space.
As the Anderson Street area sees its first major development in years, The Forte signals a turning point for one of Hackensack’s least developed neighborhoods. While the surrounding area has seen substantial success in the restaurant and retail fronts, this mixed-use project, alongside the redevelopment as 123 Anderson, could reshape the neighborhood and bring a sizeable number of residents with high disposable incomes to the area surrounding the Anderon Street train station.
