Russo Development and Dinallo Construction broke ground Wednesday on phase one of Essex & Crane, a 410-unit, mixed-use project at the Orange Train Station that is within the city’s Main Street Redevelopment Area.
Essex & Crane will be one of the largest and most modern apartment communities built in the city’s history, complete with public green spaces, pedestrian walkways and 750 parking spaces.
The first phase will feature 209 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floorplans, gourmet kitchens with energy-efficient appliances complemented by custom cabinets, sleek black hardware, quartz countertops and modern backsplashes. All apartment homes have 9-foot ceilings, ample storage space, in-home washer-dryers and smart locks.
Essex & Crane residents also will enjoy an extensive amenities package, encompassing 23,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, that includes a pool, club room, bicycle storage room and elevated terraces.
Orange Mayor Dwayne Davis said he was thrilled by the project.
“Essex & Crane epitomizes the city’s vision for redevelopment within its downtown,” he said.
Ed Russo, CEO of Russo Development, said his group is eager to get going.
“We are excited for the opportunity to build in the City of Orange, and we are confident that Essex & Crane will complement the surrounding community and provide an impetus for further redevelopment,” he said. “The city has been an excellent partner towards achieving their vision and also very receptive to our team’s ideas for this project.”
In addition to being directly adjacent to the Orange Train Station, the development is just off routes 280 and 21, and the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. It is nearby to many of Orange’s landmarks, including Military Park Commons, Rosa Parks Central Community School and the Orange Public Library.
This is the third residential partnership between Dinallo Construction Corp. and Russo Development, following Annin Lofts, a reinterpretation at the historic Annin Flag Factory in Verona, and Waldwick Station, a revitalization of the former DeMartini Coal and Lumber Co. site in Waldwick.
