A large industrial property along Perth Amboy’s waterfront that has long been closed to the public will be springing to life over the coming years, as a five-building plan that includes significant open space has been greenlit by officials.
Perth Amboy’s Planning Board recently approved a $200 million plan to clean up a blighted, brownfield site and transform it into a development called Sea Gate. Kushner Companies is behind the endeavor, which will build 602 market-rate rental units on the 15-acre parcel.
The entirety of the project includes parcels on Front, Commerce, Rector, Broad, High, and Fayette streets along the former Arthur Kill waterfront. The development will include many public amenities funded by the redeveloper, such as a waterfront esplanade stretching from Front Street to the bulkhead at Washington Street, as well as a playground, landscaped plazas, and a dog park for public use.
“We have been working closely with the redeveloper to create the type of plan that can benefit the entire Perth Amboy community, not just the residents of Sea Gate,” said Mayor Helmin Caba. “We are directly addressing unused, under-taxed waterfront property and creating the type of development that will benefit Perth Amboy for years to come.”
The approved plan also includes 909 parking spaces. The proposal was initially approved by the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency last year, and under a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement, Kushner will pay the city about $1.2 million annually as part of a long-term agreement.
City officials noted in a statement released after the approvals were granted that the redevelopment area now generates only about $113,000 in net revenue per year. Kushner Companies will also be contributing $1 million to Perth Amboy for the construction or rehabilitation of affordable residential units.
A significant nod to local history is included in the agreement. The approved plan includes a memorial to Thomas Mundy Peterson, a city resident who was the first African American to vote in an election following the ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870.
As part of the state-mandated redevelopment process, an archeological review is planned to ascertain if property needs to be preserved for historical significance, in concert with state and city historians, as well as the redeveloper’s consultants.
“This site has long presented environmental conditions that limited its use,” Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Tashi Vazquez said. “Through the redevelopment process, the City is addressing those challenges and expanding public access to the waterfront.”
The Sea Gate development will consist entirely of one- and two-bedroom units, with construction of the entire complex expected to last over a three-year period.
