The latest part of Jersey City to see a sudden spurt of development appears to be the West Side neighborhood near the Hudson Mall.
For the second time in just three months, plans have been revealed for a new building proposal in this area, which is seeing the last traces of its industrial roots disappear. In March, Jersey Digs reported that a new 63-unit mixed-income residential project designed by Minervini Vandermark was planned for 16 Bennett Street, and construction recently began at the site. Plus, New Jersey City University’s University Place development with a ShopRite supermarket and over 300 units is coming just a few blocks away near Carbon Place.
Now, the latest proposal calls for constructing a mixed-use building at 11 Bennett Street in Ward B, on a section of the block that is only accessible by car from Route 440. According to records from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA), the development plans state that 120 residential units and ground floor commercial space are planned for both this lot and the neighboring property at 682 Route 440. As of 2015, the development was slated to be 12 stories tall.
The building would be developed by Mohan Myneni of Myneni Properties, Inc. The company, which is responsible for several development proposals across Jersey City, was first designated by the JCRA as the redeveloper of this property in 2015, and the JCRA’s Board of Commissioners voted in June to extend that designation. Myneni Properties acquired 11 Bennett Street from Leonis Partners, LLC in March 2016 for $167,500, according to NJ Parcels records.
Currently, the site contains a small private parking lot and a strip mall with businesses like 440 Liquors, New Ashiya Japanese Cuisine, T-Mobile, Annie’s Nail Spa, and a check cashing agency, as well as a community office for several Hudson County Democratic politicians, including Mayor Steven Fulop. Until it was recently demolished, a one-story industrial building used by Dye Specialties was located where most of the parking lot currently sits.
The property, located within the Water Street Redevelopment Area, is situated within walking distance of the Hudson Mall, the West Side Avenue business district, the West Bergen Branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library, and the West Side Avenue Station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
