Bayfront Promenade, the first building in the transformative Bayfront development in Jersey City, will have multifunctional retail space, job prioritization for local residents, green infrastructure, flood mitigation — and other community-driven amenities along the Hackensack River waterfront that best serve the residents of the area.
And then, there’s this: A whopping 35% of the units will be affordable.
Mayor Steve Fulop and the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency announced all this and more Tuesday night.
From the start, Fulop has pushed for a high level of affordability, requiring a minimum of 35% affordable units throughout the Bayfront site to increase affordable housing opportunities for residents. With these requirements, Bayfront will provide the most affordable housing of any private mixed-income community of this size in the country.
“This marks a major milestone as we successfully move forward with the Bayfront redevelopment project, which has already triggered interest, investment and revitalization within the city’s Greenville and West Side neighborhoods,” Fulop said. “The transformation of the formerly contaminated site into the largest mixed-income community in the region serves as a model for sustainable and affordable mixed-income development.
“To take it a step further, throughout the redevelopment process, we require job prioritization for local residents during and after construction, public access along the Hackensack River waterfront and flood mitigation infrastructure, among other key elements, to ensure our community benefits most.”
The city acquired the 100-acre Bayfront property from Honeywell Corp. in 2018 with a goal of increasing the on-site affordable housing requirements from 5%, as was previously stipulated in the redevelopment plan, to a new goal of 35%, with the city controlling the property. The agreement, passed by the city council, bonded $170 million to purchase the land and build the necessary infrastructure on the property.
Jersey City officials aim to make the Bayfront site a model for urban mixed-income development. They acknowledge, however, that it will take time.
The approval of the first redevelopment agreement is the result of a rigorous, multiyear process. After a thorough review, the JCRA and Bayfront Advisory Board carefully selected Bayfront Development Partners as the first approved Request for Proposal for the redevelopment project.
Bayfront Development Partners, a joint venture between industry-leading developers Pennrose and Omni America, has agreed to meet the city’s demands to build affordable housing and other community-driven requirements.
Bayfront Promenade will include six stories with 209 units, with 35% designated for low-income households earning 60% and below the area median income.
Tuesday night’s vote follows the unanimous approval of the project by the Bayfront Community Advisory Committee, a seven-member committee comprised of Fulop, a representative from JC Together, Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley, Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, a representative from Society Hill and two additional community members.
“We are seeing incredible progress as we transform the 100 acres of underutilized and remediated land into a welcoming and affordable community along the Hackensack River Waterfront,” JCRA Executive Director Diana Jeffrey said. “This RDA approval comes after a vigorous vetting process in which the city hosted numerous public meetings to ensure the entire community is part of the decision-making process, maintaining transparency and incorporating residents’ input.”
The Bayfront Promenade building also will house nearly 10,000 square feet of community facility space and a wide array of amenities, such as an expansive outdoor terrace with grilling stations, a community lounge with a kitchen, a co-working lounge/media room, a fitness center, yoga room, a dog wash and bike storage.
The first Bayfront building will incorporate sustainable and green building practices to achieve Enterprise Green Communities and Energy Star certification while using LEED measures, certifying the development of quality affordable housing making for a healthier, socially responsible and sustainable place for hundreds of families to live.
Jacob Fisher, a regional vice president at Pennrose, said his group is eager to keep the momentum going.
“The comprehensive redevelopment will transform a former industrial site into a vibrant, transit-oriented community with high-quality, affordable housing,” he said.
