A long-running business in Jersey City will soon be housed in a modern mixed-use complex with several benefits to the community as a plan to revitalize a corner of West Side Avenue has been greenlit.
Jersey City’s Planning Board recently approved an application to revamp 772-788 West Side Avenue, which is currently home to several smaller buildings at the corner of the road’s intersection with Duncan Avenue. The most prominent storefront included in the plan is probably Duncan Hardware, which has been serving the community since 1949.
Jesse Toledano of real estate firm Modern Spaces brokered a deal between the current owners and the Blackman Family, the original legacy owner who ran the hardware store for two generations. The deal included several lots and parking areas on Fairmount Avenue included in the revitalization plan.
Current Duncan Hardware owner David Gottesfeld tells Jersey Digs that their approved project aims to create a true center for the community and with all the large high-rises going up near Journal Square, he wanted the project to act as a bridge to the lower-rise neighborhood.
“Our development is just five stories tall but includes a good number of new units without the need for the big towers,” said Gottesfeld. “We are hoping to create a great corridor for commercial storefronts while activating one of the area’s good corners.”
The owners of Duncan Hardware are partnering with Jersey City-based GK Property Holdings on the development, which has been designed by Weckenmann Architecture. The development’s residential component will consist of 135 units, breaking down as 59 studios, 54 one-bedrooms, 22 two-bedrooms.
While no affordable housing component is included in the plan, the project does include a 2,000 square retail store that will be leased to the city for community use as a recreation center. The development will additionally feature 45 parking spaces inside an interior underground garage also available to the public.
The remainder of the ground floor will sport three other retail spaces, one of which will be taken by Duncan Hardware. Gottesfeld says that the new digs will be larger and allow them to expand their offerings when the new development is completed.
Perks for future residents at the building will include a lounge, fitness center, co-working/amenity flex space, and a rooftop deck. Infrastructure improvements for the development include streetscape upgrades, utility infrastructure, and a stormwater management system.
The development was granted several C variances from the Planning Board during approval that were related to the subdivision portion of the project’s application. The complex is expected to take about 18 months to complete after construction begins.
In terms of when that could happen, Duncan Hardware is still operating out of their West Side Avenue space for now. However, Gottesfeld says he expects to temporarily move to a new storefront within the next six months to make way for the next generation at West Side and Duncan Avenues.
“Getting this approval is a major step for us,” added Jonathan Tsur of GK Property Holdings. “Together with our site across the street — which was approved last year and proposes 84 units — we really hope to have a meaningful impact on the look and feel of West Side Avenue.”
