While Bloomfield has seen plenty of residential and mixed-use development over the last decade, much of the recent construction has been concentrated near the main train station in this Essex County township. With the exception of the Parkway Lofts Apartments along the East Orange border and The Grove at One92 on Bloomfield Avenue, few projects have been proposed or built near Bloomfield’s other train stop, which is located in a largely residential and industrial section of the municipality. Now, a major new development is in the works for a massive property just a short distance away from the Watsessing Avenue station on the Montclair-Boonton Line.
A Bloomfield-based developer has proposed a complex with a total of over 175 units at 13-17 Lawrence Street, an 8.87-acre vacant lot located southwest of the station. PCP Acquisition Partners, LLC, which is based out of the same address as Prism Capital Partners, is planning to subdivide this former industrial property into a .64-acre lot and an 8.24-acre lot, according to a legal notice that was issued earlier this month.
The .64-acre lot would be developed into a four-story building with 24 residential units, all of which would be designated as “affordable housing.” Meanwhile, the 8.24-acre lot would see the construction of 154 “stacked townhouse units…evenly spread throughout the property,” according to the notice. In addition, the latter part of the project would include a clubhouse and a pool but not for all residents of the complex. The notice states that these amenities would be “for use by the residents of the townhouse component only.”
Plenty of parking would be provided on the premises, which stretch all the way east to west from the train tracks to Lawrence Street and north to south along the private Arch Street access road for Parkway Lofts residents. 30 spaces would be included for the smaller part of the project while there would be 380 spots for the townhouses.
The Bloomfield Planning Board could soon decide whether or not this project moves forward in its proposed form. PCP Acquisition Partners is looking to receive Preliminary, Final Site Plan, and Minor Subdivision approvals along with variances, according to the notice. The board is scheduled to hear the plans during its meeting on Tuesday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m.
Note to readers: The dates that applications are scheduled to be heard by the Bloomfield Planning Board and other commissions are subject to change.
