A new proposal hoping to add significant retail space to The Heights seems destined to reignite battles over building elevations that have often defined the neighborhood’s development debates.
Back in late May, an application was submitted to Jersey City’s planning department concerning a trio of properties at 356-360 Central Avenue. The parcels are all owned by a Jersey City-based company and consist of three vacant buildings plus the rear yards east of them at 111-113 Cambridge Avenue.
The current four-story structures all top out at 43 feet in height, but a proposed plan would demolish everything at the site in favor of a taller development. Set to rise seven stories and 81 feet at the highest point, the envisioned project would include 72 residential units breaking down as 55 one-bedrooms and 17 two-bedrooms.
The developer’s application states that no affordable housing will be provided under the plan, which does include 22 parking spaces inside an on-site 12,000-square-foot garage. The proposal, which would cover 100% of the lots, would feature 9,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space fronting Central Avenue.
Renderings of the project have not been made available, but Long Valley-based Bodnar Architectural Studio is listed as the architect of record on the application. The properties fall within an area designated for Neighborhood Commercial use and several “c” variances will be needed to move the proposal forward.
Current zoning allows for a maximum of five floors and 55 feet in height at the properties, so the developer will be seeking deviations for both building height and number of stories. The proposal meets the parking requirements of the area, as two-tenths (0.2) of a parking space must be provided for each bedroom in the development.
Jersey City’s planning board, which has not set a date to hear the proposal, will need to approve the application before any changes occur at the property.
