Jersey City Rising

[JCMAN320]

New park coming to Journal Square as part of justice complex plan
Today (November 6, 2019) 1:55 PM
By Patrick Villanova | The Jersey Journal

Journal Square is getting its first park.

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop announced an agreement Wednesday to build a 3-acre public park on Newark Avenue as part of the county’s Honorable Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex project.

The park will be built on the land currently occupied by the Hudson County Administration Building, which will be demolished when the county completes its new judicial complex nearby.

“Our partnership will create a beautiful new public park for residents to enjoy as the new courthouse complex serves as a catalyst for the revitalization of Journal Square,” DeGise said in a statement.

Hudson County will turn over the land, which sits at the corner of Newark and Central avenues, to Jersey City. The city will pay for the demolition and removal of the vacated structure.

“This agreement will bring the first park to the Journal Square area, where many kids and adults alike who live or work in the area will now have an open public space to enjoy,” Fulop said in a statement.

Built in 1953 in the international style of architecture, the county Administration Building was expected to replace the Brennan Courthouse, which closed in 1966 and was slated for demolition. However, the Brennan Courthouse was saved following a public outcry and eventually renovated and reopened in 1985 for use in civil cases.

The new judicial complex will house 24 courtrooms, grand jury and jury assembly spaces, courts administration offices, as well as the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Surrogate’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Department.

Construction on the justice complex is expected to start in the later part of 2020, Freeholder Bill O’Dea said.

The complex will be bound by Newark Avenue, Oakland Avenue, Route 139, and a new two-way Central Avenue extension that will be build between Hoboken and Newark avenues.

Meanwhile, Cook Street will be removed, while Oakland Avenue, currently a one-way street, will be widened to accommodate two-way traffic.

In recent years, Journal Square has become the next frontier of Jersey City development with several high-rise apartment projects approved or being built, including the three-tower Journal Squared project.

Richard Boggiano, the Ward C councilman who represents Journal Square, said the park will be a much needed addition to the neighbor amid the development.

“Thank you to the county for working with us to create some much needed green space in Ward C,” Boggiano said in a statement. "With development happening everywhere in my ward, I’m really excited to have something like this for the thousands of people and families who live near Journal Square.”

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/11/ne...plex-plan.html

[JCMAN320]

Third Phase of Jersey City’s Provost Square to Break Ground in Early 2020
By Chris Fry -November 7, 2019


Phase Three of Provost Square, 155 Bay Street, Jersey City. Rendering courtesy HLW International.

The largest redevelopment project in the Powerhouse Arts District will soon start adding another new tower to the city’s skyline, as Toll Brothers has indicated they will start construction on the next leg of the four-phase development next year.

The sprawling Provost Square was initially approved all the way back in 2009 and the totality of the development includes 925 residential units, over 42,000 square feet of retail, and a 26,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza that ties the complex together. The first two phases of the project are completed and the next portion is set to rise at the address of 155 Bay Street.

Phase three of Provost Square will see the construction of a 33-story tower that shares a retail base with the project’s first portion. The new high-rise calls for 259 residential units, 6,289 square feet of retail, and a parking garage with 218 spaces. 12 of the residential spaces will be designated as live/work units, including one for an artist-in-residence.

Designed by HLW International Architects, phase three of the plan will restore the façade on the existing A & P Annex Building and repurpose the structure into a lobby for a brand new 560-seat performing arts center spanning 26,532 square feet. An additional 17,706 square feet of multi-purpose art space will round out phase three of Provost Square, which will also see the balance of the pedestrian plaza constructed.

Scaffolding is already up on the side of the A & P Annex Building and Toll Brothers wrote a letter to Jersey City’s planning department on October 3 stating that they have already applied for permits to build the third phase. The company says they anticipate commencing construction “on or about December 31.”

The letter was part of a Toll Brothers request asking the city’s planning department for a one-year extension on approvals for Provost Square’s fourth phase, which would be constructed on a surface parking lot at 352 Marin Boulevard.

The final portion of the project is set to rise five stories and feature 32 workforce housing units, another 2,600 square feet of ground-floor retail, and a rooftop recreation space. That application was submitted in October but hasn’t been considered by the planning board yet.


Aerial view. Site plan courtesy HLW International.


Current A & P Annex Building that will be the entrance to the new performing arts center. Photo by Chris Fry/Jersey Digs.

https://jerseydigs.com/toll-brothers...k-ground-2020/

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This project along with the 2nd phase of the Oakman closing up at 2nd St. and Marin Blvd., the Canopy Hotel closing up at Morgan St. and Marin Blvd., and the Silverman and Kushner project both under construction at 331 Marin Blvd. and 351 Marin Blvd. simultaneously, this section of Downtown is going to have one hell of a canyon look and a wonderfully complete street wall.

[citybooster]

Great news about the park...Journal Square residents, if anything, can use a major park...love development but it's good to have trees, grass and just space to relax and play and take things easy in the city.

Will be nice to see about the finishing up of the Provost Square project, particularly the public plaza and the saved facade of the current factory transformed to house the Performing Arts theater.Wasn't sure checking out the rendering of the public square but wil Toll Brothers be putting back in the old cobblestone walkway as part of the plaza?

[JCMAN320]

Great news about the park...Journal Square residents, if anything, can use a major park...love development but it's good to have trees, grass and just space to relax and play and take things easy in the city.

Will be nice to see about the finishing up of the Provost Square project, particularly the public plaza and the saved facade of the current factory transformed to house the Performing Arts theater.Wasn't sure checking out the rendering of the public square but wil Toll Brothers be putting back in the old cobblestone walkway as part of the plaza?

Hey City. Yes they will restore and retain the cobblestones and tracks.

[JCMAN320]

Jersey City breaks ground on skate park at Berry Lane Park
By: Gabrielle Saulsbery
November 12, 2019 12:40 pm



The skate part at Berry Lane Park will be Jersey City's largest skate park and park pavilion. PHOTOS: JERSEY CITY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Rendering for Berry Lane Park Skate Park in Jersey City.

Tony Hawk retired from professional skateboarding in 1999, but his influence has remained. Now, it’s come to Jersey City.

The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency broke ground Tuesday on what will be the city’s largest skate park and park pavilion, funded in part by a Tony Hawk Foundation Grant. The nearly 12,000-square-foot skate park at Berry Lane Park will be the first poured-in-place concrete skate park in Hudson County.

“It’s incredible to see the transformation that continues to take place at Berry Lane Park, especially considering this 17-acre property was once filled with old rail lines, junkyards and auto repair shops,” said Mayor Steven Fulop in a statement. “With the new pavilion and skate park, Berry Lane Park will become the area’s premier park as we remain committed to invest in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood.”

The project is expected to be completed by Neptune-city based contractor Tsivikos Enterprises Inc. by spring. The pavillion will feature walkways, curb extensions, benches, and bike racks.

The Tony Hawk Foundation uses a selective process to choose locations nationwide to invest in building high quality, public skate parks.

“Berry Lane Park is on its way to becoming a state of the art recreational facility, so it is an exciting time to break ground on the latest phase of construction,” said JCRA Executive Director Diana Jeffrey in a statement. “The city has done a tremendous job in transforming acres of brownfields into useable open space for our residents and community to enjoy.”

Plans for the skate park, which will be one of the state’s largest, include a lay back bank, hipped quarter pipes, a roller, A-Frame ledge combo, split level A-Frame with gap, three-stair rail, bump to ledge, kicker gap, flat rail over gap, clam shell, quarter pipe extension, pump bump, and a backyard bowl at a 6-foot maximum depth with a 3,600-square-foot circumference.

This is not the first skate park Tsivikos has built in New Jersey. The contractor built a 7,000-square-foot skate park in Plainfield in 2017.

The Berry Lane Park skate board project is partially funded by the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund Grant.


The skate part at Berry Lane Park will be Jersey City's largest skate park and park pavilion. PHOTOS: JERSEY CITY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

https://njbiz.com/jersey-city-breaks...ne-skate-park/

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Jersey City and developer break ground on $2 million park
Posted Nov 14, 2019
By Joshua Rosario | The Jersey Journal


Jennifer Brown
The groundbreaking at the vacant land that will become the Cole Street park

A new $2 million park is coming to the Jersey City/Hoboken border.

Jersey City and Manhattan Building Company broke ground Thursday on the 1.5-acre park along Coles Street between 16th and 18th streets. Construction will begin this week, transforming the vacant land into a park that will include a stage for live music.

“We have been committed to expanding the Jersey City parks and this is another step in that direction” Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said in a statement.

The project is being funded and built by Manhattan Building Company, the developer behind the nearby Soho West and Cast-Iron Lofts complexes. The park is part of a community benefit agreement with the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority.

The Coles Street Park design will also include an enclosed playground, two separate dogs runs, as well as open green space with various landscaping and decorative lighting.

“We are extremely excited to commence the construction of Coles Street Park,” Manhattan Building Company President Sandy Weiss said in a statement. “We are grateful to have a forward-thinking administration that recognizes the need for preservation of open space, especially in an urban setting.”

The park comes as the city rolls out various green initiatives, including city-wide park improvements using almost $3 million in Open Space Trust funding.

Other efforts the city has made to bolster the park system includes an ordinance adopted in July to form a Shade Tree Committee, which sets in motion plans for the planting and maintenance of new trees across the city.

“We are making progress on all fronts,” Fulop said.

Jersey City will assume ownership over Coles Street Park once it is completed. MBC anticipates its completion in 2020.


Manhattan Building Company
A rendering of Cole Street Park

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/11/je...lion-park.html

[citybooster]

Thanks, JCMAN! The new park looks great, too...Berry Lane Park, this one at Coles, the new park replacing the Administration Building on Newark Ave... definitely nice to see all this new parkland for Jersey City residents to enjoy!

[JCMAN320]

The Beach, LeFrak’s Latest Development, Rising in Jersey City
By Chris Fry -November 20, 20190


LeFrak’s new development on the last waterfront parcel in Newport is under construction: The Beach, 700 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City. Rendering via HLW International.

A two-tower project along Newport’s waterfront has been given a name and officially saw vertical construction commence over the last month.

The development in question is rising at 700 Washington Boulevard inside Newport’s Northeast Quadrant, which represents one of the last undeveloped parcels along Jersey City’s waterfront. We broke the news about LeFrak’s first proposal for the land way back in May 2017, but the project has been shrouded in a bit of mystery ever since.

Work clearing a concrete plant commenced during April of last year and the project appeared initially to be called The Wave when it was first uncovered. However, Jersey Digs has confirmed via a spokesperson with M18 Public Relations that the development is now dubbed The Beach, a likely reference to the sandy portion of the adjacent Newport Green.

The Beach is designed by New York-based HLW International Architecture and Engineering and will feature two towers of 24 and 12 stories linked by a five-story middle section. The shorter portion will feature a 3,324-square-foot rooftop amenity space, while the ground floor will sport 16,490 square feet of retail space that faces Washington Boulevard.

338 residential units are included in the project, broken down as 38 studios, 134 one-bedrooms, 129 two-bedrooms, 35 three-bedrooms, and two four-bedroom units. Select apartments will have private terraces and the structure’s exterior will utilize insulated glass window walls, metal VTAC louvers, and light gray stucco.

The building site is currently not accessible by car, so construction of The Beach will include an extension of 18th Street from its current end at Washington Boulevard. The future street will run towards the Hudson River before dead-ending and some additional auxiliary roads will be built on the property as the project is completed.

LeFrak has not announced any timeline as to when they expect The Beach to be completed and a spokesperson with M18 Public Relations stated that they “don’t have additional details to share at this time.”

https://jerseydigs.com/the-beach-lef...t-jersey-city/

[JCMAN320]

Dorms at 150 Bay Street Approved, Will House Students From a N.Y. University
By Jared Kofsky -November 25, 2019


150 Bay Street, Powerhouse Arts District, Jersey City. Photo via Google Maps/Street View

A plan that calls for bringing dorms for college students to three floors of a Jersey City building has been given the all-clear to move forward.

The application by Bay Street Associates, LLC was granted Preliminary and Final Site Plan approval with conditions by the Jersey City Planning Board during its meeting on November 12. The company is planning to bring 72 dorms to the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of 150 Bay Street in the Powerhouse Arts District, according to a legal notice.

Nine units for resident advisors, a study lounge, a cafeteria, and a recreation area for students are also planned for the 121,041-square-foot space, which sits within a former A&P warehouse that has since been adaptively reused into lofts, art studios, and retail space. The three floors in question were previously used by Keepers Self Storage.

The dorms are not expected to be occupied by students of Hudson County universities. Instead, they are being developed for students of Nyack College, a small Christian school with a campus opposite Battery Park in Lower Manhattan.

The college is in the process of closing what has long been its main campus nearly 30 miles upriver outside the Rockland County, New York village of Nyack, according to The Journal News. All courses are expected to take place in Manhattan in the coming years, meaning that instead of walking across a suburban Rockland County campus to get to class, residential students will instead be expected to take a ferry or PATH train across the Hudson.

Nyack College has already posted proposed room layouts and floor plans for 150 Bay Street on its website. The dorms are reportedly expected to open in time for the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester and serve over 400 students.

Externai Links:
http://www.nyack.edu/news/battery-pa...nyack-college/

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/loc...us/1917820002/

https://nyackinnyc.org/housing-building/

https://www.nyack.edu/news/update-on...esidence-hall/

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https://jerseydigs.com/plans-approve...t-jersey-city/

[JCMAN320]

Funding Secured, New Renderings Released for First Phase of Jersey City’s Emerson Lofts
By Chris Fry -November 15, 2019


Soho West, Jersey City. Photo by Darrell Simmons/Jersey Digs.

An effort to revitalize a former factory along Downtown’s northwest fringe has obtained funding to build an initial mixed-use tower, which will be the first portion of a four-phase development that looks to transform the neighborhood.

Last year, Jersey City’s planning board approved an application to overhaul a sprawling industrial facility just north of the I-78/Route 139 onramp between Coles and Monmouth streets. The existing building was first constructed in the 1920s by the Continental Can Company and later housed Emerson Radio, who manufactured radios, records, and later televisions at the site.

The scheme, drawn up by Jersey City-based Urban Architecture LLC, will adaptively re-use a portion of the factory and add three 26-story towers to the property for a total of 1,000 residential units. 526 parking spaces, 44,000 square feet of retail, and 23,900 square feet of public use space for the city are included in the plan, which moved forward earlier this year when demolition began in January.

The initial phase will see a 26-story tower rise 304 feet at the now-vacant corner of Coles and 14th streets that includes 350 residential units, 307 parking spaces, 10,040 square feet of retail, and the 23,900-square-foot public use facility. The developer of Emerson Lofts, Manhattan Building Company, has picked up a $168 million construction financing package from Madison Realty Capital to fund the first phase of the project.

We previously reported that the Emerson Lofts property is owned by a subsidiary of Newmark & Company, but according to Commercial Observer, Manhattan Building controls the property’s leasehold interest through a 99-year deal with Newmark.

Madison Realty Capital says that due to the project’s size and scope, construction will likely take two and a half to three years. According to the development’s application, the first phase of the project also includes the creation of Coles Street Park on a nearby vacant parcel between 18th and 16th streets that’s between and across the way from the SoHo Lofts and Cast Iron properties.

The second phase of Emerson Lofts will see construction of another 26-story tower at the corner of 15th and Monmouth streets, while the third phase would rehabilitate the remaining factory into 150 apartments and ground-floor commercial space. The final tower, or the fourth phase, will rise next to the remaining factory along Monmouth Street.


Former Emerson Radio factory, Jersey City. Photo by Chris Fry/Jersey Digs.


Emerson Lofts by Urban Architecture LLC. Rendering courtesy Madison Realty Capital.


Emerson Lofts by Urban Architecture LLC. Rendering courtesy Madison Realty Capital.

https://jerseydigs.com/renderings-fo...-million-loan/

[JCMAN320]

New Developer, New Plans for 144 First Street in Jersey City
By Chris Fry -December 3, 2019


New proposed development for 144 First Street in the Powerhouse Arts District, Jersey City. Rendering via GRO Architects.

After sitting vacant for several years, a prime parcel in the Powerhouse Arts District could finally be developed following a transfer of the land’s ownership.

For many years, a block-long parcel at 144 First Street was home to the two-story Juan Ribbon Machine Shop. After its industrial phase passed, the building served as home to various artists during the early years of Jersey City’s renaissance.

In a familiar story that the neighborhood has sadly seen too many times, the Juan Ribbon Machine Shop was unceremoniously torn down in January 2016. A company named 144 First Street LLC gained approvals shortly thereafter to build an 11-story, 84-unit building that included about 3,700 square feet of retail space.

There was no tangible progress in terms of moving that plan forward, but a new beginning appeared possible when New York City-based Epire announced earlier this year that they purchased the land. The company met with the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association about their plans in May and officially submitted their new vision to the city last month.

Drawn up by New York-based GRO Architects, Epire’s plan looks quite different from the old one and envisions a 12-story mid-rise on the parcel that would top out at 125 feet in height. 81 residential units would be included in the project, which would break down as eight studios, 39 one-bedrooms, 27 two-bedrooms, and seven three-bedroom spaces.

The development, which would cover 100% of the nearly 10,000-square-foot lot, would include amenities for future residents like a gym, a playroom, a lounge space, and a 1,500-square-foot roof deck. In addition, the project would bring 3,959 square feet of retail space to the neighborhood via ground-floor spaces that front Provost Street.

The development falls within the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan and per those regulations, eight of the building’s units would be set aside as affordable housing for those with moderate incomes. It’s not clear if the residential portion of the project will consist of condominiums or rental units.

The development, which appears to have a masonry-clad exterior based on renderings, is one story taller than the previously approved project but contains three less units and more retail space than the old version. No parking is included in the development and the only deviation from existing zoning Epire is requesting in their application is a “c” variance related to the building’s height.

Epire submitted their Final Major Site Plan to the city on November 21 and would need to gain approvals from the planning board before moving forward. A date to hear the application should be set sometime next year.


Previous proposal for 144 First Street, Jersey City. Rendering via LWDMR Architects.


144 First Street, Jersey City. Rendering via GRO Architects.


144 First Street, Jersey City. Rendering via GRO Architects.


144 First Street, Jersey City. Rendering via GRO Architects.

https://jerseydigs.com/new-developer...t-jersey-city/

[msands7]

That new proposal is 1000x better than the old one. Stunning and timeless design. Can't wait to see it built!

[JCMAN320]

Liberty Science Center’s SciTech Scity receives $10M donation
Gift is the largest in the Jersey City learning center's history
By: Jessica Perry
December 4, 2019 8:08 am


Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. – LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER

Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center planned SciTech Scity was gifted $10 million this week from former U.S. Rep. and New Jersey state Sen., philanthropist and real estate developer Frank Guarini.

Guarini’s gift – matched 50 cents on the dollar with a $5 million pledge from LSC Co-chair David Barry, on behalf of himself and fellow city developers – is the largest in the Liberty Science Center’s history.

SciTech Scity will total 30 acres, include Liberty Science Center, and be named the Frank J. Guarini Innovation Campus. According to LSC, the $15 million in new funding sets the stage for phase one of the project to open in late 2022.

Jersey City donated 12.5 acres of land for the project that aims to rethink K-12 science education and foster science and tech companies. It has garnered previous financial support from founding corporate sponsors including EY, Verizon, Joe and Millie Williams and others.

“Many of us believe that the renaissance of Jersey City began with Frank Guarini’s visionary work,” said LSC President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Hoffman.

A Jersey City native, Guarini’s history-making gift was announced at LSC’s inaugural “The Genius of New Jersey” event, at which he was honored by Hoffman.

“The Frank J. Guarini Innovation Campus will bring together entrepreneurs, scientists, academics, students, and other thinkers and doers who share Alan Kay’s prescription that the best way to predict the future is to invent it,” Hoffman said.

In addition to Liberty Science Center, the first phase of the project will include the construction of Edge Works, Scholars Village and the Public Commons.

Edge Works will be comprised of two hubs: The Works, a fabrication and R&D lab, offices and co-working space for start-ups and entrepreneurs; and The Co-Creation Center, a conference center and tech gallery. Scholars Village will host residential housing for members of the SciTech Scity community, including STEM graduate students, scientists and innovators. And the Public Commons will encompass a 5-acre outdoor park featuring an events plaza, a boardwalk, greenhouses and a 40-foot art installation.

DEVCO is master developer of SciTech Scity, while Erikjan Vermeulen of Concrete in Amsterdam serves as design architect and Neil Porter of Gustafson Porter Bowman in London is the landscape architect.

https://njbiz.com/liberty-science-ce...rini-donation/

[msands7]

Been waiting for this project to finally start. Can't wait to they break ground!