Eight Apartments Could Come to Narrow Jersey City Lot

April 17, 2019

306 Johnston Avenue Jersey City — Site of proposed development: 306 Johnston Avenue, Bergen-Lafayette, Jersey City. Photo via Google Maps/Street View.

With ever-increasing development near the Liberty State Park light rail stop in Jersey City’s Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood, some companies are now even looking to build on some of the smallest properties in this part of town. For instance, one narrow tract that is across from both one of the area’s largest upcoming developments and one of its most massive vacant buildings could soon become home to a new apartment building.

The property in question, 306 Johnston Avenue, has sat undeveloped for years at the corner of Monitor Street. Now, records from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) show that a firm called AM Development, LLC wants to build a five-story building on the site, which sits within the Morris Canal Redevelopment Plan Area. The proposed development is expected to include commercial space on the ground floor and eight residential units in the rest of the building. Just like the proposed 16-unit building on nearby Communipaw Avenue, only one of the units in this structure would be designated as “affordable housing,” according to JCRA paperwork.

The JCRA’s Board of Commissioners designated AM Development as the property’s redeveloper during its special meeting back on March 26. All present commissioners voted in favor of the designation. The project still will need additional approvals from City Hall before it can continue to advance.

City tax records indicate that AM Development is not the property’s registered owner. The company was registered out of Jersey City in December, according to the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. The firm that owns the property, 306 Johnston, LLC, is based out of a house in Bayonne. It is not clear yet what, if any, connection exists between the two LLCs.