Developers Present Proposals for North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone

Two developers presented their proposals for the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone during the Village Council meeting Wednesday.

The first developer, Kensington Senior Development, proposed plans for a senior assisted living facility that will feature a garden, cafe, art gallery, hair salon and physical therapy facility, all of which would be open to the public.

Kensington Senior Development also proposed to build a parking lot and donate it to the Village, which would create an additional 130 parking spaces for the Central Business District.

The developer made the argument that since Ridgewood does not have any assisted living facilities, the elderly are forced to go to surrounding towns and spend their money there instead of in the Village.

The second developer, Langan Development, proposed a parking garage with luxury apartments and tenant space bordering the lot in the shape of an “L.”

The parking garage would allow for 627 parking spaces with a semi-automatic system that parks vehicles, or 342 self-park spots.

The structure of the building would be ”designed like the Central Business District” and include an array of colors and architecture matching the existing buildings in the area.

The plans include 13 high-end condos ”sold at a high rate” that feature a lobby and fitness center as well as rooftop dining, a billiards room and pub room, which would be open to the public.

These plans, according to Landan Development, would allow for “additional retail space and parking.”

Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said the presentations were “the first step in this process” for determining what the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone will be in the future.