Jersey City’s westbound development has gotten well-deserved attention this year, with approved projects in Journal Square proving to doubters that big-name builders aren’t just interested in the waterfront anymore. But the western migration of development is also happening Downtown, and one project that will better connect two neighborhoods is up for approval next week.
Pegasus Enterprises has put together a new plan for 100 Colden Street, which is on the fringe of Downtown past Liberty Harbor and just steps from the Bergen-Lafayette border. The project will combine four lots on the block that are currently occupied by long-vacant warehouses, which will be torn down under the plan.
In their place will be a new 12-story, mixed-use structure with 128 units, 168 parking spaces, a 28,650 square foot retail component and over 60,000 square feet of self-storage space in the building. The development, designed by Hoboken-based Minervini Vandermark, will have a contemporary look that will feature large glass windows on the ground floor storefront that will provide some great natural light.
The proposed development falls within the boundaries of the Bates Street Redevelopment Plan, which was created in 2006 and recently amended by the City Council in September. The plan notes that there are very few historic structures in the neighborhood, which is defined mostly by the modern Jersey City Medical Center and a 1980s-style strip mall with a large parking lot.
Because of this reality, the plan’s stated intentions are to facilitate “high modern, fresh and bold designs that do not reference historic Jersey City architecture.” 100 Colden would fit that bill, as it embraces many elements of current urban style.
The four properties being combined for the project are 11-12 Brook Street, 1-3 Brook Street, 17-23 Bates Street and 114-120 Colden Street. A few of the lots have had proposals approved in the past, but never held any groundbreakings. A project called One Bates Street was green-lit back in 2008, which was pretty much the worst time for a real estate development to gain approval.
There’s also a lot nearby at 460 Grand Street that had a 10-story, 82 residential unit building approved back in July 2015, but no construction activity appears to have taken place at the site. If 100 Colden moves forward, it could perhaps jumpstart those plans and the neighborhood in general. There is a gap of several underutilized properties near the Turnpike extension that could potentially develop into a new neighborhood as land Downtown becomes more scarce.
Time will tell if 100 Colden ends up being a catalyst for the neighborhood’s revitalization, but the new plans for the site will be heard by the Planning Board at their next meeting on December 20th.
[gmap height=”250px”]100 Colden St, Jersey City, NJ 07302[/gmap]
100 Colden St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
