The skyline of the South Bronx will be different after the construction of the Bankside Apartments is completed. Located on both sides of the Third Avenue Bridge, the first of seven buildings will be completed by the end of 2021.

As of today, the full price of the project will cost nearly $1 billion. Due in part to New York State’s Affordable New York program, 30% will be “income-generated”—or simply put, rented below market rates.

Why It’s Groundbreaking

In total, it will be seven different residential towers over the South Bronx’s first public waterfront part. 

Looking outward, it overlooks the Hudson and East Rivers, including the World Financial Center area as well as Greenpoint Landing.

Looking inward, the project hopes that incorporating sustainable features will land them a LEED certification.

Bankside Park Features and Amenities

Since it broke ground in the autumn of 2019, Brookfield Properties has made public how expansive the amenities are. The 1,350-unit development includes a thoughtful layout and is geared towards retail and accessible public spaces. It is near bars and restaurants, art galleries, and public transport (the 4, 5, and 6 are nearby). Features include:

• 34,000sf of public waterfront parkland
• 15,000sf of retail
• 598 parking spaces

Bridging the Past and Present

Designed by Hill West Architects, the necklace of the towers and its facades will pay homage to the industrial past of the area. Glass, brick, rustic masonry, and dark metal elements are juxtaposed and provide an artistic and architectural feature.

For more information on this and other projects, visit our website.

Acting as a gateway to Conshohocken, SORA West is a 3.6-acre project outside of Philadelphia that will have a different feel in the area once completed. 

With two components — a 127-key hotel under the Hilton brand, and a fully-leased office building, the project will offer much-needed facilities in the area. Initially the developer aimed to build a 165-room hotel but it was scaled back.

What’s on the Inside of SORA West?

On the inside of the hotel at SORA West patrons will pass through the hotel to the restored firehouse restaurant via a second floor connection for a unique indoor-outdoor experience. The outdoor terrace will be about 650sf while the interior area will be 1,294sf.

SORA West Outdoor Structures

Beyond the terrace at SORA West, the area is surrounded by key public transit networks as well as trains and buses for easy access.

To accommodate commuters and patrons, there will be a 1,500-space parking structure.

Funding

As of January, the project was awarded $1 million from Pennsylvania through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. This award is given to projects that foster historical, cultural, and economic improvements.

For more information on SORA West and other projects, visit our website.

The Monarch Waterfront Development Site has been an item of dispute for years. Initially, the Ironstate Development Company planned to build two 11-story high-rise buildings on Hoboken, New Jersey’s waterfront. However, the city was not in agreement, and the City of Hoboken took their displeasure to the New Jersey Supreme Court, who ruled against the City of Hoboken in 2014. 

What Has Happened Since 2014?

After the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled against the City of Hoboken in 2014, the City of Hoboken then took their case to the New Jersey Appellate Court, citing zoning laws that were newly enacted in 2013 as evidence. However, in 2019, the New Jersey Appellate Court also ruled against the City of Hoboken, and in 2020, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided to have one more look and sided with the appellate court. 

What Are the Terms of the Agreement?

Still, even after many years of haggling in court, the Ironstate Development Company and the City of Hoboken reached an agreement. Instead of two 11-story towers on the 15th Street Pier, they will build an 11-story residential building where the old Municipal Garage once stood on Observer Highway. This site is within walking distance to the Hoboken train station, so it would be convenient for future residents. The ground floor will be used as 15,000 square feet of retail space. The land at the 15th Street Pier will instead be used to build a small park, and it will remain open space. 

There will still be a need for a municipal garage, so the city has announced they will plan to build one in northwest Hoboken, and this will be funded by Ironstate Development Company, per the terms of the agreement. This garage will be part of a different project, known as the Hoboken North End Redevelopment Plan.

What Are Some Other Terms of the Redevelopment Plan?

In addition to the parking garage, other terms of the North End Redevelopment Plan include a new facility for the Department of Public Works, 4,000 square feet of retail on Observer Highway, 264,000 in a transit rental building, and 11 percent of all housing units tagged as affordable housing. 

The Hoboken City Council had to vote on the agreement that concerned the Monarch Waterfront Development Site for it to be approved, and they did so on February 3, 2021. The agreement passed with an 8-0-1 vote. There is no set a date for development to begin on the project that will now commence on Observer Highway. 

Contact CIS Leads for information on this project and others in the area.

Former President Donald Trump replaced the Commodore Hotel with the Grand Hyatt Hotel in 1980. This major development project was situated in a prime location next to Grand Central Terminal. Now, developers TF Cornerstone and RXR are proposing to tear down the Grand Hyatt, and the remains of the old Commodore underneath, and replace it with an 83-story tower. 

Why is this Project Important?

Some of the reasons the RXR/TF Cornerstone Project has importance is because structural columns that are part of the Commodore Hotel underneath are blocking entrances and access to stairways in the Grand Central Terminal subway station. The new proposal will demolish those columns, and the columns that replace them will be placed outside of the station. 

Project Details 

This 2.2 million-square-foot tower will be 83 stories tall, with a ground floor that serves as a public train hall that allows the public street entrances to Grand Central and the 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines. This project will also relocate from the mezzanine, often a source of crowding and chaos, to the train hall at the street level.

TF Cornerstone will also develop a 12,000-square foot underground passageway that links several train lines together: the Long Island Rail Road to the East Side Access Terminal, below One Vanderbilt to Metro North, as well as the subway mezzanine. This will allow the LIRR and Metro North commuters access to the subway platforms, rather than having to walk through the Grand Central concourse, which can often be crowded and time-consuming. 

There will also be 5,400 square feet of new space to the 42nd Street Passage, with room for ticket machines, signage, and arrival boards. Also, there are plans for a 22,000-square-foot public outdoor space that wraps around the building, complete with a reflecting pool with seating, two cafes, outdoor art, and ADA-compliant elevators that allow passengers access to the subway station and street. 

What Are Other Details of the Tower?

The design’s full details have not been released to the public just yet but are expected to be available in Spring 2021. Developers have said that the building’s shape will be set back at its zenith, similarly to the Chrysler building. 

Besides being an asset to Grand Central Terminal travelers, the tower will also have 2,1 million square feet of office space, 10,000 square feet of retail space, and a 500-key hotel on the top floors. 

Demolition is expected to begin in 2022, and completion of the project is expected to occur by 2030. 

Contact CIS Leads for information on this project and others in the area.

There have been years of back-and-forth battles considering the proposed 700+-home housing project on the former Cavaliers Country Club property. The New Castle County Council approved the development in late 2020, and Delaware Online has slated the project as one they’re keeping their eye on in 2021. The original application for development was submitted to the board in the summer of 2018.

What Does the Project Entail?

This most recent proposal calls for 196 single-family homes, 130 townhome units, and 288 apartments, for a total of 714 units. Carlino Development, based out of Wyomissing, PA, will be doing most of the work on the project. 

Some parts of the housing project have already been cleared in anticipation of breaking ground; however, the developers must ensure that the ground is safe before moving forward, as herbicides and pesticides were often used at the now-defunct golf course. The development will be just north of the Christiana Mall, south of Churchmans Road. 

Why Were There Roadblocks with the Project?

Residents that live nearby have been voicing concerns for years over how the housing project may affect traffic patterns and cause more traffic on an already congested road. Currently, one can only enter the golf course through one entryway via Churchmans Road. Part of the new, updated plan will have a connected road tying the housing project to the Christiana Fashion Center, near the mall. Carlino Development will build the first half, and the Delaware Department of Transportation will build the second half. Initially, developers wanted to tie the housing development directly to the mall but could not agree with Brookfield Properties, the developers who own the mall.

Mixed-Use Property vs. Town Residents

Initially, the project was also supposed to be mixed-use, with several different commercial properties being part of the development. Still, the developers nixed that idea after complaints from residents and the town. 

Plans had to be modified several times before these most recent plans were put in front of the New Castle County Council, at which time they were approved. Once the ground is deemed safe to build on, the developers expect to break ground as soon as possible. 

For more information on this or other projects, contact CIS Leads.

Plans for a shopping center at Route 58 and Mill Road in Riverhead were first proposed in 2019, but the project remains frozen in the planning stage as residents and developers collide over whether the proposed shopping center would bring too much noise to nearby residents. 

On January 21, 2021, the Riverhead Planning Board discussed whether a sound wall should be built around the proposed shopping center to block loud noises from nearby residents.

What Are the Details of the Proposed Shopping Center?

Original plans of the proposed shopping center call for 45,487 total square feet of development on Route 58 and Mill Road in Riverhead, NY. This plot of land is adjacent to the Riverhead Centre complex. There would be three one-story buildings in total: one with a size of 17,922 square feet, one of 10,904 square feet, and one of 13,232 feet, all of the retail storefronts. There are plans for another building, a 4,935-square foot fast food restaurant with a drive-thru window. 

These businesses are permissible per Riverhead zoning laws as the plot of land is zoned within the business district. The Long Island Cauliflower Association owns the land, and Richmond Realty will complete development. 

Why Is There a Proposed Sound Wall?

Nearby businesses, such as Stop & Shop, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Shops at Riverhead, have built sound walls during development because of noise concerns. The proposed Route 58 and Mill Road development project is close to Millbrook Communities, a gated community, and neighbors are worried about noise.

The Riverhead town code also requires a 50-foot non-disturbed transitional yard to buffer between commercial and residential zones. However, this does not necessarily describe a sound wall per se. Board members discussed the issue but did not come to a clear conclusion over what a solution may be. A traffic study noted that there would be no significant traffic issues caused by the Route 58 and Mill Road development. 

The board members did not decide on the sound wall. Developer Richard Israel from Richmond Realty was present at the meeting and agreed to amend plans but did not necessarily agree to build a sturdy wall.