Echoing the Upper West Side
By ANTOINETTE MARTIN
Published: July 23, 2006
JERSEY CITY
One appeal of the planned Gull’s Cove condo tower in Jersey City is that it will be next to a new light rail stop and near the ferry terminal.
THE first condominium tower in the 80-acre Liberty Harbor North redevelopment area is now going up alongside a new light rail stop and the commuter ferry terminal at Pier 11 here.
Gull’s Cove, a 16-story tower that will hold 321 residences, ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, is just a small part of a master plan to transform a former industrial area into a neighborhood resembling the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The master plan — recognized in 2001 by the American Planning Association as a model of “New Urbanism” because of the way it incorporates high-density housing, multiple transit connections and a pedestrian-oriented streetscape — was the creation of the Miami architect Andrés Duany. He is the designer of Seaside in Florida, where “The Truman Show” was filmed; it is considered a New Urbanist icon.
Liberty Harbor North is designed to echo the Upper West Side’s network of small city blocks with town-house-lined streets intersecting a few broad avenues facing the waterfront, according to Mr. Duany.
The overall plan includes 6,500 units of market-rate housing, one million square feet of hotel space, 750,000 square feet of retail space, 4.5 million square feet of office space and two parks totaling about 100 acres.
Two locally based builders, Peter Mocco and Jeff Zak, are the principal developers of the $2 billion project, and control more than half of the redevelopment property. Some sites in the project will be developed by others, as is happening at Gull’s Cove. Mr. Mocco and Mr. Zak have yet to announce the details and timing for their own construction plans.
The other developers that will build pieces of the project include the Applied Companies, which developed the Shipyard mixed-used complex with stores and condominium and rental residences on the riverfront.
Meanwhile, the Gull’s Cove tower is being built by Metro Homes, which is based in Hoboken. It has erected the first five floors of steel for the tower, which is the first phase in a three-building project. Gull’s Cove will eventually include another 110 condos in two additional lower-rise buildings.
Situated about a half-mile west of the Hudson River on the north bank of the Morris Canal, the Liberty Harbor North site offers striking views of Lower Manhattan to the east and the Statue of Liberty to the south, said the Metro Homes principal, Dean Geibel.
“The mass transit access from our building can’t be beat,” he asserted confidently one day last week as he stood at the light rail stop opposite the front doors of the building under construction, and looked toward the ferry terminal clearly within sight.
The light rail system makes a direct connection to the PATH train station at Exchange Place, providing a total commuting time to Manhattan that can be as short as 15 minutes, he said.
Furthermore, there is nearby street access to the New Jersey Turnpike and the Holland Tunnel, and Newark Liberty International Airport is only 10 minutes away, Mr. Geibel pointed out.
The condominiums at Gull’s Cove, which are being marketed by Century 21, range in size from 548 to 2,415 square feet and are listed at prices ranging from the high $200,000’s to $1.2 million.
Condominium shoppers can view the variety of floor plans available at gullscove.com, the project’s Web site, and also see digital renderings depicting apartments finished with the materials and appliances that come with a “standard’ or “upgraded” option package.
Standard features include plank flooring, ceramic tile baths, Whirlpool appliances and black granite countertops. The upgraded package includes cherry or mahogany flooring, marble or porcelain tile, premium-grade KitchenAid appliances, and black or sand-colored granite countertops. In addition, closet spaces can be customized with the upgraded package.
Gull’s Cove will have a 24-hour attended lobby and offer concierge services, Mr. Geibel said. It will also house its own cafe, restaurant, bank, fitness club, child-care center and newsstand.
A putting green and landscaped deck are to be installed on the roof of one of the lower buildings, and the complex will include three levels of covered parking.
One of the Liberty Harbor North parks is to be situated on the west side of Gull’s Cove, beside the canal. Various views from the condo tower will overlook the park, the harbor, the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline and, closer at hand, two historic neighborhoods: Van Vorst to the east and Hamilton Park to the north.
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company