Monthly Archives: February 2014

Apartments, Downtown

Metro Rahway project moving along

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West Cherry and Campbell

With a completion timeline of later this summer, Metro Rahway continues to rise along Campbell Street with the work on the West Cherry Street side reaching the third story.

The 116-unit apartment complex being built at the former A&M Supply site will include 62 two-bedroom units and 52 one-bedroom units in four floors of living space above one level of parking, with 120 spaces and another 18 on-street spaces.

Elm and Campbell

The A&M Supply building was demolished in June and Metro Rahway got under way later in the year. The project received a 15-year Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT), approved by the City Council last year, details of which can be found here.

Downtown, restaurants

Village Bistro to open on East Cherry Street

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The Village Bistro
February 2014

The Village Bistro, a halal and kosher style eatery, plans a grand opening on Friday, taking East Cherry Street space formerly occupied by D&R’s Deli and for many years by Big Belly Deli.

Big Belly Deli had occupied the space from about early 2005 until March 2011.  D&R replaced it later in 2011, until it closed up shop last year.

For the uninitiated, here’s the answer to your question, “What’s halal meat?”

January 2014
January 2014

The building at 78 E. Cherry St., built in 1900, is on the market for $265,000 and includes apartments on the upper floors, but the retail tenant has a lease that would have to be honored by a new owner, according to Bob Markey of Striker Realty . Property taxes run about $10,400 annually, according to property records.

Arts District, City Council

State of the City 2014

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Note: The full State of the City remarks can be viewed here.

Redevelopment took a back seat to parks upgrades and other initiatives related to the arts during the 2014 State of the City address last night.

Continue reading State of the City 2014 →

City Council

‘The State of the City is…’

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With the second postponement of the State of the City (now scheduled for Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.), I thought it’d give us another opportunity to have some fun with it and also solicit some input from readers. Inspired by a reader comment via Facebook last week, I ask you to finish the sentence:

“The state of the city is…”

Feel free to use one word or a short phrase that you think best describes the “state of the city” — in your view. The most typical phrase we often hear when it comes to State of the City or State of the Union, is always “strong” — but that’s usually coming from the person delivering the remarks, so what else would you expect? Instead, what would you say?

Apartments, Downtown, Redevelopment Agency

Agency to get additional $100k in fees for project

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The Redevelopment Agency will receive another $100,000 in redevelopment fees from Metro Rahway, currently under construction on Campbell Street.

Continue reading Agency to get additional $100k in fees for project →

City Council, tax appeals, taxes

Elizabeth Avenue parcel wins tax judgment

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A commercial warehouse property on Elizabeth Avenue will get a nearly 24-percent break on its 2013 property tax bill as a result of a state tax court judgment. Nearly 120 properties had successful appeals at the county level, resulting in some $182,000 in refunds for the 2013 tax year.

Continue reading Elizabeth Avenue parcel wins tax judgment →

Apartments, Redevelopment Agency

Developer close to acquiring Wheatena lots

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The developer behind two downtown projects is close to acquiring properties comprising the former Wheatena site for a possible 400-unit development.

Continue reading Developer close to acquiring Wheatena lots →

Arts District, Downtown, Redevelopment Agency

Site for artist housing under contract

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The Redevelopment Agency has entered into a contract for the purchase of the Elizabethtown Gas Building, where affordable housing for artists is planned. About 60 units are planned for the 219 Central Ave. site.

A contract was entered into in December and a redevelopment agreement is being drafted, Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier told the Redevelopment Agency at its meeting last month.  The Redevelopment Agency in May authorized the acquisition for $1 million, with $400,000 held in escrow for remediation.

The final redevelopment agreement will address typical issues plus certain funding and financing issues, according to Redevelopment Agency attorney Frank Regan, who said the sale was executed Dec. 6.

The Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation (AFHDC) last year was replaced on the project by TRF Development Partners, a nonprofit support organization of The Reinvestment Fund. The redevelopment team now includes Crawford Street Partners, Ingerman Development CorpElizabethtown Gas building., and TRF Development Partners.

AFHDC’s parent organization, The Actors Fund, wanted to redirect its financial resources toward the delivery of social services and is “best positioned to champion projects through public promotion and marketing assistance,” according to Steve Burns of Crawford Street Partners.

TRF Development Partners has developed City Arts in Baltimore, Md., a 69-unit tax credit project plus 15 market townhomes for sale and rent, and is currently raising funds for City Arts 2, a 62-unit building with 12 market rate townhomes,  Burns said.

The New Jersey Multiple Housing Financing Agency (NJMHFA) is expected to release draft regulations for the 2014 Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs and once those are published, the development team will “be in a position to form a strategy and timetable for securing financing,” Pelissier said.

Approvals by the NJHMFA for the tax credits and financing could come during the first quarter of this year, and once construction financing is closed, construction could begin several weeks after that.