Proposal by Lincoln Equities at 18th and Jersey Ave. Would include a proposal for a light rail stop at Jersey Ave and 18th St.
This would require a rezoning process, which is currently being studied by the city along with the Holland Gardens rezoning. Next meeting on the rezoning is on Feb 18th.
Update: This now appears to be 18. or 21 stories. The following is from a presentation by Jersey City’s City Planning Division. The proposal is the three white towers in the middle ground
This lot is being cleared and there is a drill rig on the site. Something is happening here.
Unfortunately I believe what you are seeing is work for 659 Grove St, which is a smaller building by Lefrak at the corner of Grove and 18th.
659 Grove St is a 10-story mixed-use building with 139 apartments, 10,039 sq. ft. of commercial space, and parking. Its building permit was issued on August 13. The building permit for 650 Grove St, another similar Lefrak 10-story building diagonally across the same intersection, was also issued recently.
Did they scrap the plan for a new light rail station there? I see a sign on the gate at 650 Grove St as well. I guess both projects are going to get built at the same time.
It sounds like there is some movement on this. I don’t know details about whether it will involve a subsidy or not, but negotiations with the city are ongoing. Can’t divulge more.
Curious why anything in Downtown Jersey City would be capped at 18 stories, especially next to a rail stop. Completely crazy. It sort of seems like we’re selling ourselves short, no? I wonder what reasons exist, if any, to not just let the developer build as tall as they want to safely?
The reason is to protect the Manhattan views of the multimillion dollar houses of the Riverview Neighborhood Association NIMBYs along Ogden Ave in the Heights. Cant be ruining their view of skyscrapers by putting a skyscraper there. In the mid 2000s the city had approved a plan for a 44-story building at the site. The NIMBYs sued. They won the lawsuit, on a technicality. After that, the plan died on the vine.
Sounds like a fantastic reason to artificially inflate housing costs for everyone. Anyone upset about housing costs knows where to look for one of the causes.
Here is the lawsuit:
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/nj-superior-court/1152249.html
Also, the deal for this site involving the light rail stop will likely be made public soon. Will probably involve a PILOT too, to subsidize the light rail stop, but that part is not finalized and will not be announced yet.
Developer is asking for an upzoning allowing 3 towers up to 38 stories tall, due to the costs of the light rail stop. As part of that upzoning they would build the light rail stop. If they get Aspire tax credits, they could do 20% affoedable. But if those subsidies fail to materialize, they are asking for an exemption from JC’s inclusionary zoning ordinance to do only 10% inclusionary rather than the 15% required. 1200 units with aspire, 1500 units without. I included all the photos below so you dont have to click through.
