Category Archives: construction

Residential Construction Underway in West Chester, PA

New residential construction is underway in West Chester, PA, near the Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center.

Pinckney Hill Commons, previously known as the Melton Center Apartments, will have 10 townhomes plus a four-story, 41-unit apartment building. The townhouses, which include an attached garage, will be three or four bedrooms.

The nearly $16 million project of mixed-income rentals on a 1.39-acre lot will cater to families with members who have mobility, hearing, and visual impairments. Planned amenities in the apartment building include a community room, library, laundry, management offices, and on-site supportive services.

The existing Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center will remain on Lot 1 and residents will have access to its programming. The project is expected to be completed in 2021.

Low-Income Housing Project Finally in Progress in Trenton

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Construction has begun on Premises Patriot Village II in Trenton. The $22 million project will create a four-story, mixed-use building with 72 affordable housing units.

The residential units will include one-bedroom units (11), two-bedrooms (42), and three-bedroom units (19). Priority will go to homeless and veteran applicants. Residents will also have access to children’s educational activities and health and wellness activities for all.

The building’s amenities include a 690-square-foot gym, 1,600-square-foot community room, and more than 1,100-square feet of ground level retail.

There will be 72 on-site parking spaces under the building and an interior courtyard.

The project broke ground in July after years of federal grant money was frozen and kept the plans from moving forward.

With access to the money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, work is in progress with completion expected in Fall 2021.

Piazza Terminal Rising in North Philadelphia

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After breaking ground earlier this year, the Piazza Terminal at the Old Schmidt Brewery Site is taking shape in Philadelphia. The $370 million project will create nearly 1,200 apartments and 45,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants, as well as a pedestrian plaza and 500-space parking garage that will dedicate five percent of the spots to green cars and include space for bikes.

The buildings, connected by a second floor skybridge, will be different heights, with the tallest rising 16 stories. The midrise buildings will have terraces on the upper floors that look out onto the central plaza.

Other amenities include two pools and lounge areas on top of an existing five-story parking garage.

There is no completion date for the project, but initial projections estimated completion five years from the start of construction.

M Station Breaks Ground in Morristown

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Last week, developers and town officials gathered to break ground on the $225 million M Station Redevelopment project at the former Midtown Shopping Center site in Morristown, NJ. Now, construction begins on what is being called a “transformative” project for the town, the most significant commercial development in the decades.

The first part of the multi-phased project will be two mixed-used office and retail buildings on the five-acre site on Morris Street, between Lafayette Avenue and Spring Street. One building will be seven stories with 233,770 square feet of office space and 19,400 square feet of retail. The second building will have six stories and 118,900 square feet of office space and 10,130 square feet of retail. Plans call for large outdoor terraces on the top floor of each building.

M Station is expected to act as a connector between the town’s New Jersey Transit station and the Green and tenants are already signing on. Deloitte has agreed to move its Parsippany operations to 110,000 square-feet at M Station.

According to the project plans, there will be a promenade and public plaza, as well as a parking garage with 889 parking spaces and 33 surface spots. Other site improvements include landscaping, pedestrian improvements, road reconfiguration of Spring Place, and a new roundabout on Morris Street.’

Last month, the Morristown council approved a 30-year PILOT agreement between the developer and the town. The council also endorsed issuing up to $8.8 million bonds for the roundabout and other off-site improvements.

Plan for Trail at Princeton Pike Residential Project Approved

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The Trail at Princeton Pike residential housing plan was approved earlier this month to begin construction at the site at the end of Lenox Drive in the Princeton Pike Corporate Center.

The project will build 189 residential units comprised of 145 market-rate townhomes or condominiums and 42 affordable housing rental apartments. It also includes a one-bedroom apartment to be used as a sales office and a one-bedroom apartment for maintenance staff.

The townhouses would be three-bedroom units with two bathrooms and range in size from 1,500- to 2,500-square feet. One- and two-car garages are planned. There will be one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment units with outside parking spaces for renters.

Original plans were altered to address concerns that the housing site was too close to the 18th-century historic farmhouse, the Brearley House, which Lawrence Township owns.

Transformation of Bogota Riverfront Continues

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It took years to overcome many obstacles—including extensive remediation and drainage work to avoid the frequent flooding—but the The River Club Apartments and Retail project in Bogota, NJ, is pushing toward successfully transforming the former industrial area into a residential and retail neighborhood.

Construction is ongoing on the $100 million project at the former Hess Tank Farm Site on West Fort Lee Rd. When it is finished, there will be five, four-story buildings with a total of 424 luxury apartments. Ten percent of those units will be designated as affordable housing for veterans. Two of the buildings should be done shortly with the other three to be completed soon after. There will be retail space on the ground floor of one building.

The four-phase project on the more than 13-acre site includes many amenities, including an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse, 5,000-square-foot public recreation area, a dog park, heated pool, 2,200-foot walkway along the Hudson River, and a new, on-site NJ Transit bus stop.

Dunellen Station Ready to Rise at Former Art Color Facility

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Vertical construction is set to begin for Dunellen Station at the former Art Color industrial facility in Dunellen, NJ. Demolition is complete, building permits have been issued and construction of the $105 million project is expected to start before the end of 2020.

The two existing lots at 100 South Washington Avenue will be subdivided into two new lots that will give rise to a mixed-use development across South Washington Avenue from the Dunellen train station. The plan calls for six four-story buildings with 194 one and two-bedroom market rate apartments and 58 low- to moderate-income units for a total of 252 rental residences. There will also be 130 townhouses spread among four 12-unit stacked townhouse buildings, one 10-unit stacked townhouse building and nine eight-unit townhouse buildings.

Developers are promising many amenities including a fitness center, meeting rooms, clubhouse and outdoor pool and entertainment area.

In addition, there will be 9,240 square-feet of retail space fronting South Washington Avenue and with a planned transit theme and design that complements the neighborhood.

Construction of Mixed-Use Development Ongoing at AstraZeneca Campus in Delaware

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Vertical construction is underway at the Avenue North hotel, retail, and residential portion of the AstraZeneca Fairfax Campus expansion in Newark, DE.

The $350 million project on the 80-acre site will create new office space to support the growing life sciences community. It also has a mixed-use development, which will include at least 300 apartments totaling more than 450,000 square feet. To meet the needs of those new residents as well as office workers, there will be 200,000 square feet of retail stores, as well as restaurants, a fitness center and day care constructed.

A five-story, 200-room, 180,000 square foot luxury hotel and meeting facilities will be built near the entrance of the complex to meet the needs of those visiting the campus off of Route 202.

Developer Dell Dunne and Associates says the development will be the first of its kind in Delaware. No completion date has been set.

Swarthmore College Dining Hall Project Underway

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Right now, college students who are on campuses across the country have been told to adhere to social distancing and follow other safety precautions. Dining options are modified for students protection, as well.

But as Swarthmore College students follow those rules this fall, the Swarthmore College Sharples Dining Hall Addition & Community Commons project is building with its eye on a return to eating and socializing in a communal space.

The project will add 40,000 square feet to the dining hall, in an attempt to meet the needs of a growing student population and more dining options. It will also create a communal space for staff and students to relax and socialize. Construction is underway.

Demolition of the Phi Psi building at 5 Sharples Lane is complete, and the excavation for the basement space is underway. The design aims to be a net-zero building. When completed, that basement can be the location for a geothermal exchange plant to service the entire campus, which would allow the college to act toward its goal of transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels for heating and cooling campus buildings.

Phase 1 of this two-phased project, the completion of the dining hall addition, is expected to be done in June 2022. The entire project has an anticipated completion date of August 2023.

Former Bayonne Catholic School To Become Luxury Apartments

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The pandemic and its economic impact have created another challenge for Catholic schools struggling to stay open. Just this year, at least 19 New Jersey Catholic schools closed, and at least another five were folded into nearby schools. Buildings left empty by closings are not new for the Catholic schools, which have been battling falling enrollment and funding issues for years.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Bayonne has sat unused since the school closed in 2008. Now developers plan to convert the school into a luxury apartment building within walking distance of the light rail.

The 99-year-old building at the corner of East 22nd Street and Church Lane will retain the original Roman revival-style façade as the interior is turned into 30 loft apartments, from studios to two-bedroom units. Plans for the building also include a gym, rooftop terrace, and garage.

The target date for the $15-20 million project is third quarter 2021, but that is contingent upon approvals. As of earlier this week, the site plan application had yet to be filed with the town planning board. Developers still plan to complete construction and start leasing apartments in late 2023.