JERSEY CITY | Projects and Construction thread

[Hamilton]

Thought this might be of interest: the last parcel on the block bounded by Jersey Ave, Grand St, and Regent St, (street address 88 Regent St) will be going before the Planning Board for approval in two weeks. It'll be 32 stories, 392 apartments, a small amount of office space (less than a floor), and retail on the bottom. It's not requesting any major deviations from the redevelopment plan zoning. It will be the largest building in this corner of Liberty Harbor North, but not for long--the Liberty Harbor North Redevelopment Plan calls for the buildings to step up in height as they get closer to the waterfront.

They'll be giving an update on the project to the Van Vorst Park Association, but fortunately the VVPA has no say in what gets built there or not.

[C.]

^ Excellent news and thank you.

On that topic, across the street is the Jersey City medical center. They've approached the redevelopment authority, but I have no info on what they're planning. A partial redevelopment of that site is possible.

[Hamilton]

Fantastic tip! The JCMC property is in the Grand Jersey redevelopment plan, which is one of the most progressive in Jersey City, a real transit village plan. No parking minimums. They are allowed to build up to three 22+-story towers with 1700 homes on their property south of Regent/Canal Street (see page 34 of the Grand/Jersey Redevelopment plan here):



Here's the area now for comparison:


The best part is that this is as-of-right, so it can't get bogged down by politics or NIMBYism.

[C.]

I did a little more digging and the only thing I can find is from October, 2014. The plan then was for a 1,500 space parking garage ( ), expansion of medical facilities, and a mixed-use office/residential tower.

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by CIA

I did a little more digging and the only thing I can find is from October, 2014. The plan then was for a 1,500 space parking garage ( ), expansion of medical facilities, and a mixed-use office/residential tower.

At the end of the day, the economics of such gargantuan parking lots don't make sense in an urban area with good transit, unless they're required by the zoning. It's just not the highest and best use for floor area so close to transit. I'd be willing to bet that the plans will eventually be updated to something more feasible and more in keeping with transit-oriented development principles as the project gets fleshed out.

But JCMC does currently have a gigantic surface lot on this site south of Regent Street. Once granted, parking entitlements are difficult to take away. And healthcare workers working late night and weekend shifts can't really take transit so easily, nor can many disabled patients. So I'd expect some sort of garage to replace the surface lot plus a few spots for residents, but 1500 sounds like a lot.

[C.]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoGuy

That would be nice.

Less than a week away for an update on Urby II & III. I'm excited. It could be routine boring news (to break ground in first quarter of 2018) or something more exciting. I personally hope they grow taller based on the resounding success of phase I.

[C.]

Giant Clock Coming to Journal Square

Jersey City may get its own version of Big Ben.

The developers behind the three-tower Journal Squared project won approval from the city Planning Board recently to add a giant digital clock to the next tower slated for construction.

Unlike London's iconic Big Ben, which sits atop a 315-foot tower, the Journal Squared timepiece will be much closer to the ground. A rendering of the building shows the clock near the ground floor of the 759-foot building. It will face south, toward the plaza that leads into the Journal Square PATH hub...

full article: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2...art_river_home

[C.]

Urby I is now 95% leased.


http://investors.mack-cali.com/file/...File=390981878
Jersey City Urby, NJ's Tallest Residential Building, is 95-Percent Leased
Landmark Tower's New Residents Help Bring to Life Cultural District on Hudson River Waterfront

The rapid leasing of Urby's 762 studio, one- and two-bedroom residences is reflective of the strong demand for thoughtfully designed apartments near Jersey City's waterfront, where Mack-Cali is developing Harborside – a cultural district that blends luxury living, premier offices, locally inspired shopping and dining, and open public spaces.

"As Urby nears full occupancy, we're witnessing a significant milestone in the Jersey City waterfront's continued evolution into a destination neighborhood," said Michael J. DeMarco, CEO of Mack-Cali. "The over one thousand residents who've moved into the building are playing an important role in bringing to life the unique arts, dining and lifestyle scene that's being cultivated at Harborside."

"Urby provides residents with seamless access to Manhattan, seven minutes via the Exchange Place PATH station located one block from the building, and six to eight minutes (depending on destination) via the recently launched Harborside NY Waterway ferry terminal. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stop located directly at the building provides access up and down the New Jersey Waterfront. Additionally, a new Citi Bike station at Harborside offers residents and office tenants in the area yet another transportation option."

[C.]

We should be hearing news on Urby II and III in the next couple of days...

Urby reached stabilized occupancy with lightening speed. I would be interested to know how it ranks against other developments in North America. Leasing 750 units in under a year at the rents they are charging is no small accomplishment.

[C.]

Turns out Mack Cali is purchasing 25 Christopher Columbus Drive - plans remain the same (749 units and 52 floors) with groundbreaking planned for next year.
Mack Cali has also purchased 107 Morgan St, which is 1.38 acres currently being used as a parking lot. The plan is to develop into multi-family apartments.
Looks like Urby II and III groundbreakings are at least 5 months away. Attention may be shifting to other development sites...
What's most surprising is Harborside VIII & Harborside IX, located northeast of Urby is planned to breakground in 2018. Not much is known except it will be two towers: one with 675 units and the other 1,325. The total for both sites is about ~2.9 acres. I'm going to pay a lot of attention to what's planned at Harborside IX. To contain 1,325 units, it's going to have to be massive!

Other notes:
Journal Squared is over 80% leased (at least 430 of the 538 units)
Vantage is about 30% leased (135 out of 448 units)
Something called VYV is 7% leased (30 out of 420 units)

Jersey City's rental market is very healthy. Ubry II & III may be taking a backseat to 25 Christopher Columbus and the mysterious Harborside 8 & 9 towers.

[C.]

i'm gonna predict Harborside 9 will be a supertall. Someone bump this post if proved correct!

Call made 11/7/17 using publicly available financial information.

[C.]

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2...rt_river_index

Court VICTORY paves way for new Journal Square high-rise

JERSEY CITY -- The owners of a property just outside Journal Square are demanding the city comply with a judicial order to vacate a portion of West Street, an action that would allow for construction of a high-rise on the site.

The city had been fighting the property owners in court, saying the previous council, which approved a deal to vacate the portion of West Street, was not legally permitted to tie the hands of the current council. An appellate court ruled in favor of the owners, Robinhood Plaza, in June and last month the New Jersey Supreme Court declined to hear the city's appeal.

"Further refusal of the City Council to introduce and adopt the street vacation ordinance will be a contempt of court, and we intend to punish any such contempt to the fullest extent of the law, if it becomes necessary," Michael B. Kates, Robinhood's attorney, told the city in a Nov. 8 letter to the city clerk.

[Busy Bee]

What an ignorant old sad sack... "destroying the neighborhood"?... a run down old parking lot a block from JS station? People like this just need to fade away and be replaced by a younger generation that has some damn sense.

[C.]

I can see my house in that pic.

[Oron Zchut]

Originally Posted by CIA

Turns out Mack Cali is purchasing 25 Christopher Columbus Drive - plans remain the same (749 units and 52 floors) with groundbreaking planned for next year.
Mack Cali has also purchased 107 Morgan St, which is 1.38 acres currently being used as a parking lot. The plan is to develop into multi-family apartments.
Looks like Urby II and III groundbreakings are at least 5 months away. Attention may be shifting to other development sites...
What's most surprising is Harborside VIII & Harborside IX, located northeast of Urby is planned to breakground in 2018. Not much is known except it will be two towers: one with 675 units and the other 1,325. The total for both sites is about ~2.9 acres. I'm going to pay a lot of attention to what's planned at Harborside IX. To contain 1,325 units, it's going to have to be massive!

Other notes:
Journal Squared is over 80% leased (at least 430 of the 538 units)
Vantage is about 30% leased (135 out of 448 units)
Something called VYV is 7% leased (30 out of 420 units)

Jersey City's rental market is very healthy. Ubry II & III may be taking a backseat to 25 Christopher Columbus and the mysterious Harborside 8 & 9 towers.

That's some pretty big news there. Seems like Mack-Cali is buying up a lot of Jersey City property. I don't know if that's good or bad - probably means development will be slower, with one developer holding a bunch of properties and not wanting to compete with himself.

107 Morgan is the huge lot across from 321 Warren right? That lot could probably hold 4 towers, although I'm not sure what the zoning allows.

And FYI - VYV is the first of the Metro Plaza/Hudson Exchange towers.

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by CIA

I can see my house in that pic.

Me too. We must be neighbors! I think I might've run into you today? Check your PM's.

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by Oron Zchut

107 Morgan is the huge lot across from 321 Warren right? That lot could probably hold 4 towers, although I'm not sure what the zoning allows.

The zoning for the site, in the High-Rise Zone of the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan, allows for 600,000 square feet. (It's a 60,000 square foot site with an allowed FAR of 10). That's about 750 apartments at an average of 800 square feet each.

[Hamilton]

By the way, Councilman Boggiano says the city plans to keep fighting the court order to vacate West Street. Not sure how that's possible, considering the only court that the case could be appealed to now is the US Supreme Court, where this would have a snowball's chance in hell....

[citybooster]

Originally Posted by Hamilton

By the way, Councilman Boggiano says the city plans to keep fighting the court order to vacate West Street. Not sure how that's possible, considering the only court that the case could be appealed to now is the US Supreme Court, where this would have a snowball's chance in hell....

I'd just dismiss this if I were the HAP developer and get ready for groundbreaking asap. Boggiano can cackle all he wants for his NIMBY peeps but they lost, now get the hey out of the way and build!

[C.]

I'm thinking more about the Harborside site.

According to this article, the largest single-tower residence in the United States has 1,175 units and is 71 floors. Harborside Plaza 9 is planned for 1,325 units. The unit count has mysteriously been increasing over the past year in Mack Cali's financial statements: from 750 to 1,000 to 1,325.

Things that make you go hmmm....

Remember this press release from Jan. 20, 2015? Maybe, three years later, we'll see another 95-story tower announced!