The Berkeley Heights Zoning Board issued a unanimous 7-0 approval for a new mixed-use residential building with twenty units, including three affordable units. The board commended the applicant’s design and readiness to work jointly with the town planner, engineer and the Downtown Beautification Committee.
Located at 714-30 Springfield Avenue, the project will serve as a gateway to the township as Springfield Avenue heads across the Passaic River from Gillette. Brian M. Taylor, AIA, President of Taylor Architecture & Design, presented the design on behalf of the applicant, 735 Springfield Avenue, LLC.
The proposed building, Berkeley Plaza, will be a three-story, mixed-use apartment complex with two three-bedroom units, sixteen two-bedroom units and two one-bedroom units. The ground floor will house a 1,590-square-foot café restaurant and covered parking, as well as a residential lobby, package room, resident storage areas, bike room and elevator.
The landscaping will include a pedestrian plaza planted with native species. The building will be ADA-compliant and feature several sustainability features, including electric vehicle charging and rooftop solar panels.
The first-floor construction will be a concrete podium structure, while the upper two floors will be wood-framed modular construction. The modular construction allows for a speedier construction timeline. The face of the building and individual balconies will be built with a brick veneer. Adorning the parapet will be a pronounced crown and architectural frieze wrap. The board signed off on several variances, including building height, number of floors, setbacks and number of parking spaces.
The Berkeley Plaza name is a tribute to the building that occupied the site across the street for many years. The original Berkeley Plaza was a beloved banquet and catering hall. The property was demolished in 2021 and the 1.5- acre parcel was acquired by Union County to expand the Passaic River Parkway.
North Plainfield-based Taylor Architecture & Design works with industrial and mixed-use residential real estate developers to design and develop profitable projects while safeguarding against risk.
