State environmental regulations are forcing some minor design changes for Meridia Lafayette Village while the developer also has requested more space to redesign the 115-unit project more favorably.
Continue reading Possible changes, delays for Lafayette Village
The City Council tonight approved three separate ordinances to raise water rates and taxi fares, as well as a revised downtown redevelopment plan.
The governing body last month introduced the ordinance (O-11-13) to increase water rates as well as the ordinance (O-12-13) to increase taxi fares. Here’s a Google Map that details the taxi zone boundaries (and has more than 1,800 views).
Virtually all three ordinances were approved unanimously, 9-0, with the exception of the redevelopment plan, which had one abstention (Council President Samson Steinman). There was no comment from council members on the three measures:
O-6-13, revised redevelopment plan
O-11-13, water rates
O-12-13, taxi fares
The City Council is set to approve a revised redevelopment plan that will consolidate more than three dozen amendments to the existing, 15-year-old redevelopment plan.
Mangos Grill, a downtown restaurant and bar on Fulton Street, is up for sale.
Woodbridge-based Kislak Realty is handling the real estate listing, describing it as “large kitchen with opulent dining room, bar and entertaining area,” as well as on-premises parking. The liquor license is available for purchase, according to the listing. No word on asking price.
The property at 1349 Fulton St. is owned by G&T, Inc., which bought it in January 2004 for $555,000. The 0.7-acre site houses a two-story building and is assessed at $518,300, yielding a property tax bill of more than $32,000 last year, according to property records.
The City Council passed a series of measures on Monday night aimed at bringing affordable housing targeted for people in the arts and entertainment industry to the Arts District, including a financial agreement that will provide a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT).
Demolition of the main property for Station Place, a 116-unit rental project, likely will begin later this year after it was acquired by the redevelopment in November for almost $3 million.
Use and occupancy of the 1.3-acre property by A&M Industrial Supply runs through next month and if the Campbell Street facility is vacant by the end of March, the redeveloper expects to start demolition by mid-April, according to Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier, who briefed the Redevelopment Agency in his report last month.
Completion of the five-story development could be approximately 18 months from the start of demolition. Building permits are expected to be obtained by February 2014. No word on where A&M Industrial Supply would be relocated, which is the responsibility of the redeveloper, Heartstone Development.
The property at 1414 Campbell St. was acquired by Metro Rahway Urban Renewal, LLC in East Hanover for $2.87 million on Nov. 20, according to property records. The 1.3-acre site currently is assessed at $974,800, for an annual property tax bill of about $57,000. The developer also acquired neighboring 1442 Campbell St. for $425,000 in 2007. The project will include 85 parking spaces on the ground level, along with another 17 on-site spaces and 18 on-street spaces.
Meridia Water’s Edge, a 108-unit project under construction between the library and Rahway Plaza Apartments, will begin rising significantly over the next month.
The five-story building should top out within the next five weeks, according to construction manager Jim Wendell, who briefed the Redevelopment Agency at its Jan. 9 meeting. Trusses are ready to be shipped and the building will be “really going vertical in the next four to five weeks,” he said. “It’ll really be coming alive.”
The development being built adjacent to the Center Circle complex originally was scheduled to be completed by May, and groundbreaking occurred last spring.
Monroe Street would stretch across Main Street between two five-story apartment buildings and connect with West Cherry Street in a concept plan presented to the Redevelopment Agency last month.