Proposals for the former St. Mark’s Church property have not been to the liking of city officials, either because of density or parking or a combination of both.
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During the Redevelopment Agency’s regular meeting on Sept. 20, Commissioner Tim Nash asked — as he did in December — about the status of the Hamilton Street property. Executive Director Robert Landolfi said there have been ongoing discussions with the developer, to which Nash replied that discussions have been ongoing for at least year, meanwhile, the site has become an eyesore.
Proposals put forth by the developer have not been to acceptable to the city, Landolfi said, adding that there have been discussions about other options, including the city acquiring the property. “It’s privately owned. A developer has purchased it, we can’t force him to develop,” he said.
The nearly 1-acre property was acquired in August 2022 for $475,000 by Capodagli Property Company via its Meridia on Hamilton Rahway, LLC, according to property records. The Linden-based firm is constructing the 487-unit Meridia Brownstones along Elizabeth Avenue.
Landolfi did not go into detail about concepts presented but in a brief interview after the meeting, he said what’s been presented by the developer has “not been appropriate” because of density, parking or a combination. Asked about the possibility of for-sale residential units as part of any development at St. Mark’s, he said, “I would love to see it,” however it’s also important to be mindful of where the market is.
The former St. Mark’s Church was demolished in 2019 and shortly thereafter the property and adjacent lots were designated an area in need of redevelopment. The Hamilton Street redevelopment site is part of the Arts District Redevelopment Plan, which included a concept for 16 townhouses along Gordon Place and Hamilton Street and a four-story, 44-unit building on Seminary Avenue.
A concept plan presented in 2020 by another prospective developer — before Capodagli acquired the property — proposed 36 for-sale townhomes.
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