There has not been much news to report regarding one of the taller development proposals to emerge in Jersey City, but a recent letter from the company behind the endeavor indicates that the project is still in the works.
Earlier this month, The Fourteen Florence Street Corp. filed a request with Jersey City’s planning department to extend approvals already in place for a 750-unit project in a prominent location. Originally approved in 2017, the plan would demolish a warehouse and shipping facility at the addresses of 560-580 Marin Boulevard and 130-150 12th Street.
The industrial building occupying the parcel is currently used by Mecca and Sons Trucking Company and the structure’s western wall is home to New Jersey’s largest mural. It would all be replaced by 57- and 59-story glass-sheathed high-rises set to include 240,000 square feet of commercial space and 1,098 parking spots in a garage.
The project would be built in two phases, with the initial 59-story portion including 383 units, 120,000 square feet of commercial space, and 573 parking spots. The second phase would rise 57 stories and feature 367 units, 120,000 square feet of commercial space, and the remaining 498 parking spots.
The property straddles the inbound and outbound entrances to the Holland Tunnel and the extension being sought stems mainly from issues related to the Port Authority. In their letter to the city, the property owner says that they have been working “to coordinate the potential construction of pedestrian infrastructure improvements over Port Authority property” located directly east of the project.
The purpose of the potential work is “to provide a better pedestrian connectivity to and from the project, Newport, and points to the north and west.” Despite being located Downtown, the area around the property is vehicle-forward and somewhat removed from the more walkable neighborhoods to the south like Hamilton Park.
The developer will be asking Jersey City to extend the project’s approvals for three years. While the planning board has not set a date to hear the request, the developer seeking more time to work out the project’s details indicates they are still moving forward behind the scenes.
