First Building in Huge Jersey City Waterfront Neighborhood Is Approved

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency voted 6-0 last month to approve a development agreement for the Bayfront redevelopment area along the Hackensack River, including the first building, a six-story building with affordable housing.

The Bayfront redevelopment agreement (RDA) with Bayfront Development Partners LLC says the Bayfront Promenade building will include 209 residential units. Of those, 35 percent will be for households earning 60 percent and below the median income in the area.

The building will also incorporate retail space, green infrastructure, flood mitigation aspects, and amenities such as cowork space, a fitness room, and bike storage.

The Bayfront area will provide the most affordable housing of any private mixed-income community of this size in the country, the city said.

Bought The Property To Develop

The city had acquired the 100-acre Bayfront property from Honeywell Corporation in 2018 with a goal of increasing the on-site affordable housing requirements from 5 percent, with the city controlling the property.

The City Council bonded for $170 million to purchase the land and build the necessary infrastructure on the property.

“This marks a major milestone as we successfully move forward with the Bayfront redevelopment project, which has already triggered interest, investment, and revitalization within the city’s Greenville and West Side neighborhoods,” said Mayor Steve Fulop. “The transformation of the formerly contaminated site into the largest mixed-income community in the region serves as a model for sustainable and affordable mixed-income development."

He added, "To take it a step further, throughout the redevelopment process, we require job prioritization for local residents during and after construction, public access along the Hackensack River Waterfront, and flood mitigation infrastructure, among other key elements to ensure our community benefits most.”

The JCRA vote followed the unanimous approval of the project by the Bayfront Community Advisory Committee, a 7-member committee consisting of the mayor, a representative from JC Together, Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley, Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, a representative from Society Hill, and two additional community members.

The approval of the first redevelopment agreement came after a long process. The JCRA and Bayfront Advisory Board ultimately selected Bayfront Development Partners as the first approved Request for Proposal (RFP) for the redevelopment project.

Bayfront Development Partners, a joint venture between industry-leading developers Pennrose LLC and Omni America LLC, has agreed to meet the city’s demands to build affordable housing and other community-driven requirements.

The first building, Bayfront Promenade, will also house nearly 10,000 square feet of community facility space and an expansive outdoor terrace with grilling stations. It will also include a community lounge with a kitchen, a co-working lounge/media room, dog wash, and yoga room.