The growing Jersey City skyline could soon be getting another high-rise just a block away from the Hudson River as officials will soon be weighing a plan that would also bring more affordable housing and open space to Exchange Place.
Last year, Jersey City advanced zoning changes for about two acres of land that includes the Battery View Senior Complex. The age-restricted housing development, situated at Greene and Montgomery Streets, would remain under the plan but the surface parking areas surrounding the complex would undergo a major overhaul.
Jersey City’s Council declared the property at 72 Montgomery Street as an area in need of redevelopment back in June 2022 and current owners KRE Group petitioned to enact new regulations to facilitate a high-rise on the parking lot portion.
The fruits of those efforts have been designed by Handel Architects and call for a new 56 story building to rise on the northeast portion of the block. The new building would include a total of 600 apartments breaking down as 134 studios, 248 one-bedrooms, 184 two-bedrooms, and 34 three-bedroom units.
15% of the apartments, or 90 of the units, would be designated as affordable housing per the zoning changes enacted last year. 2,788 square feet of retail space, amenities for residents including a rooftop pool, and 181 garage parking spaces would also be featured in the new tower, which would feature a five-story brick-clad base over a glass tower.
Besides the high rise, the revitalization of 72 Montgomery would also create a new 13,198-square foot public open space along Christopher Columbus Drive. The renderings show a seating area outside of the new building, a dog run, and a rolling green near the block’s corner with Washington Street.
24 existing surface parking spaces for the Battery View Senior Complex will be preserved under the plan, which would create a new private access drive down the middle of the properties between the new proposed building and Battery View. The new road would be used to access the parking garage component of the new building.
Jersey City’s Planning Board is slated to hear two applications for the project in the coming days. The first will subdivide the lot into two portions separating the open space component from the towers while the tower application is seeking eight total variances from current zoning.
The deviations being sought are somewhat minor, as they relate to minimum awning clearance, sidewalk location, maximum building identification signage, location of building signage, maximum projections, maximum rooftop appurtenance height, minimum rooftop appurtenance setback, and maximum rooftop appurtenance coverage.
A special meeting of the Jersey City Planning board is being held on February 4th and both portions of the 72 Montgomery project are tentatively scheduled to be heard during the proceedings.
