Tag Archives: Lennington Street

hotels, motels

Home2 Suites instead of Candlewood Suites

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For at least the third time in about five years, a new hotel brand is line for the corner of East Milton Avenue near Lennington Street and Routes 1/9. Home2 Suites by Hilton will replace Candlewood Suites, a Holiday Inn brand, as the extended stay hotel planned for the site. The Planning Board on Tuesday night approved an amendment to a previous preliminary and final site plan that was granted in the spring.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is a mid-tier, extended stay brand by Hilton hotels, launched in January 2008. A representative of Hilton told the Planning Board that Home2 Suites is a higher-end brand than previously was approved and has higher rates and deeper market penetration. About 55 have been approved nationwide and another 50 are expected in the next year if the economy gets better, he said.

There were few changes to the site plan that gained approval in March, according to Christopher Armstrong, attorney for applicant Family Hospitality Inc. The primary difference is an indoor pool, a requirement of Hilton, he added. The previous site plan called for a 93-unit, four-story structure and prior to that the plan was to build a Sleep Inn.

While the Planning Board approved the plans Tuesday night, city planning officials still must approve specifics, including exterior colors and materials, among other things.

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Condos

Riverview Manor taking shape

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Excuse the recent hiatus, there have been a few things going on, between a side project, computer issues and fighting crime. It’s officially summer too, so it’s been a little slow, but there should be some new posts this week — stay tuned.

Continue reading Riverview Manor taking shape →

hotels, Planning Board, Routes 1/9

Candlewood Suites gets final OK

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The Planning Board last night unanimously gave preliminary major and final site plan approval for a Candlewood Suites at East Milton Avenue and Routes 1/9, next to the Best Western.

Continue reading Candlewood Suites gets final OK →

Uncategorized

Townhomes rise on Lennington Street

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Townhomes are taking shape on the site of the former Lennington Tea House property, behind the Best Western off Routes 1/9 north. Several can be seen in the photo to the left, while the foundation for the remaining units can be seen below (which is to the left of the pictured units).

The project broke ground sometime last spring with an anticipation of 18 months for construction. The three-quarter acre site sold last May for $800,000, according to PropertyShark.com. Signs near Route 1 and East Milton Avenue advertising “custom waterfront townhouses” indicate a starting price of $390,000. Each unit will have two bedrooms, with a one-car garage and one parking space.

The builder, Colonia-based GMM Associates, also has constructed four new homes on Sterling Place and rehabbed several others in Rahway. The Planning Board gave initial approval for the redevelopment project at 1797 Lenington St. (Block 353, Lot 2) in late 2006 (.pdf).

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hotels, motels, Routes 1/9

Sleep Inn out, Candlewood Suites in

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A long-planned hotel near the corner of Route 1 and East Milton Avenue looks like it will go through another round of changes.

The 4.4-acre site (667 E. Milton Ave./Block 338, Lot 3) already was approved for a Sleep Inn several years ago but the property changed hands earlier this year and now the plan is to bring in Candlewood Suites, an extended stay brand of Holiday Inn. The Redevelopment Agency was presented with the new concept earlier this month and owners are expected to file an application with the Planning Board as soon as possible.

The site was acquired several months ago for $2.35 million. Owners hope to break ground as soon as next spring, with construction anticipated for 10 to 12 months, taking it into the spring of 2010.

Plans still show an L-shaped building at the corner of Lennington Street with the same footprint, but the structure is four stories instead of three, with a maximum of 93 rooms. The mix of studios and one-bedrooms can be modified, such as combining two studios to create a one-bedroom.

An indoor pool and convenience store also were added to the original design, which had 72 rooms in three stories. Extended stay units also have kitchens and most clients stay an average of two to three weeks. A 8,000-square-foot restaurant is still planned but is not dependent on the hotel construction, and vice versa. The restaurant would abut the neighboring Best Western on Paterson Street with its parking lot at the corner of East Milton and Paterson Street.

The hotel site would have 90 parking spaces while the restaurant site would accommodate 42, for a total of 132. By city ordinance, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant requires one parking space for every three seats, which would meet the requirement for a 120-seat facility (40 seats).

The owners also operate the Horizon Inn on Route 1 in Avenel and told the Redevelopment Agency they already have approval for $7 million financing from Unity Bank. They would have a 10-year agreement with Candlewood which would be renewed based on performance.

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Condos, Rahway

Lennington Street project to break ground

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Developers expect to break ground on a three-story, 13-unit townhouse complex on Lennington Street in the next month. Construction on Riverview Manor is expected to take 18 months or less. The current structure, commonly referred to as the Lennington Tea House and located at the end of Lennington Street, will be demolished.

The Planning Board Tuesday night gave approval for a minor variance for front/side yard setback, though the main hold-up to construction had been the state Department of Environmental Protection’s waterfront development permit. The state required a public access of some kind to the Rahway River, so there will be a 30-foot public easement and several public parking spaces. Public access will be contiguous from this property to a proposed Sleep Inn (.pdf) motel across the street.

Each two-bedroom unit will have a one-car garage and one parking space and is expected to be on the market in the $400,000 range. The homes will be some 40 feet from the Rahway River and two feet above — and out of — the flood zone, according to Dave Miele of GMM Associates.

GMM Associates also has constructed four new homes and rehabilitated a third, three-family home on Sterling Place (between Brookfield Place and East Hazelwood Avenue) and rehabilitated another on Main Street.

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