Plans by a Florida company to bring an eight-story development alongside a major thoroughfare in Jersey City’s Ward A can now move forward.
The Jersey City Planning Board unanimously approved Fort Lauderdale-based Leontarakis JC-440 Real Estate, LLC’s application with conditions during its meeting on October 13.
As Jersey Digs first reported last month, the developer sought approval to tear down the vacant building at 405 Route 440 that previously contained La Mexicana, the Route 440 Diner and Sports Bar, the Jersey City Diner, and the Colonette Restaurant in order to construct a complex with 158 residential units and 108 parking spaces.
Located diagonally across Route 440 from The Home Depot near the Bayfront site, the property is situated on what a recent Jersey City Division of City Planning staff report described as an “island lot” surrounded by the highway, Kellogg Street, and an access road.
If the building ultimately ends up being constructed as approved, it would include 119 one-bedroom units, 35 two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units, but the application shows that there would not be any “affordable housing.”
Project director Ahmed Emara of Jorge Mastropietro Architects Atelier said that there are plans for a rain garden, seating areas, and a dog run along Route 440, while the building’s 4,200-square-foot fourth floor courtyard would include features such as a playground. Newly released renderings show that the roof deck would include green space and an outdoor pool.
The design phase of the project is still expected to take another 18 months, according to Emara, who added that construction would begin subsequently and take approximately two years.
Great looking building. It’s nice departure from all the banal, ubiquitous square boxes that dominate most contemporary streetscapes. Certainly that’s an oddball location for a building of this type………hopefully it will spur other developers to add complimentary structures nearby.
Sorry, but this is stupid planning and zoning. A stand-alone mid rise on 440? Whoever is on those boards has no clue. What an uninformed project in Ward A. Who approves of these things??? Get them out and replace them with more people who actually care about the place.
Great idea. Finally we can breathe new life into an area that has been forgotten for a long time.
who would want to live next to a highway? a nightmare.
Absolutely gorgeous building! Love the curves! Can’t wait to look at it when I’m driving on 440.
That entire area is about to become a new section of the city. They won’t be alone for long.
Bayfront is a huge project and that area already has a ton of development going on with the massive redevelopment going on at NJCU, so I see why they like the location.
But that all said you can’t use words like “rain garden” in this part of town. It’s literally on 440 with Home Depot across the street. You can enjoy the pool while you suck in the exhaust fumes from the 18 wheelers and traffic all day.
But it seems every development is getting rented out so I’m sure they’ll be fine. Just hope Fort Lauderdale did his homework.
And take a guess who will be able to afford this housing?
The Jersey City board, with the exception of 2 members, will approve anything!!!! Grease the right palms, ride on Fulops coat tales and these crooks will approve building over a cemetery if the money is good enough. We need an overhaul of the board. 95% of them should be fired and investigated.
Trust fund babies.
Great views of the wrecks and traffic jams.
A playground off Rt 440? Disaster waiting to happen. Pedestrian nightmare!
Pretty Building. Awful Site. Good luck to them though.