Large, market-rate rental developments are attracting newcomers to Jersey City and are continuing to rise across the city. However, some organizations are working to ensure that affordable housing remains in these neighborhoods so that existing residents are not displaced.
The latest neighborhood to see an affordable housing proposal is McGinley Square. According to a legal notice from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, four residential rental units reserved for “low-to-moderate income” families are planned for the four-story building at 108 Storms Avenue, between Nevins Street and Monticello Avenue, in the northwestern edge of Ward F. Each of the units will include three bedrooms.
The project will be developed by the Jersey City Community Housing Corporation (JCCHC), the building owner, which is registered out of a home in The Village. According to The Jersey Journal, the JCCHC is run by former Los Angeles Clippers player and Jersey City Board of Education member Terry Dehere.
Previously, the building, which dates back to 1924, was a multi family building with eight residential units, but the legal notice states that it has been abandoned for over 20 years. The Jersey Journal reported in 2015 that the structure was gutted back in 2008, prompting its current windowless appearance, and that residents found it to be an eyesore that should have been demolished or renovated.
Now, the Jersey City Division of Community Development is planning for a $1.2 million revitalization of the building, to be funded in part by $698,880 in federal grants. They will apply around August 17th for HOME funding, according to the notice. Public comments regarding the proposed use of funding are being accepted until August 16th by the City of Jersey City and (201) 547-5304 and [email protected].
Should the project move forward, residents would be conveniently located within walking distance of the businesses along Bergen Avenue, the Journal Square Transportation Center, Saint Peter’s University, and New Jersey Transit buses 80 and 87 to Exchange Place, Greenville, The Heights, and Hoboken.
