About an acre of land along Giles Avenue could soon be transformed into a mixed-use complex with a 10% affordable housing component. Image courtesy MVMK Architecture + Design.
The path has officially been cleared for the somewhat overlooked Marion section of Jersey City to gain a new high-rise that includes both retail space and affordable housing.
During their February 10 meeting, Jersey City’s Planning Board approved an application for about an acre of land at 115 Giles Avenue. Jersey Digs first reported on the project back in 2022 when GN Management & Developers offered a sneak peek at their plans for several connecting lots they owned.
The approved plan for 115 Giles Avenue. Image courtesy MVMK Architecture + Design.
The company is behind the recently completed high-rise at 161 Van Wagenen Avenue, and 115 Giles Avenue represents one of several big investments in the area. The look of the building has changed a little bit from the initial version, but the approved plans were still drawn up by Hoboken-based MVMK Architecture + Design.
The development, which falls within Zone 4 of the Fayette-Broadway Redevelopment Plan, will consist of a 15-story building that rises 177 feet at the tallest point. A total of 490 residential units are included in the plan, breaking down as 68 studios, 280 one-bedrooms, 132 two-bedrooms, and 10 three-bedroom spaces.
Image courtesy MVMK Architecture + Design.
115 Giles Avenue is utilizing the Affordable Housing Overlay in the area’s redevelopment plan to exceed the maximum allowable density of 440 units per acre, and as a result, the project will be providing 49 affordable units, or 10% of the total unit count.
The ground floor of the development will feature two retail storefronts totaling 6,348 square feet, and the project also includes 192 car parking spaces and 250 bicycle parking spots. The development did not require any variances from existing zoning to gain approval from the board.
The ground floor detail of 115 Giles Avenue. Image courtesy MVMK Architecture + Design.
As part of the deal, the development will enter into an agreement with the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency prior to the commencement of construction. That deal will provide details regarding the developer’s pro rata share for the cost to renovate the Van Wagenen Avenue PATH Pedestrian Bridge, which is slated to undergo an overhaul as the neighborhood grows.
While a groundbreaking date for 115 Giles Avenue has not been announced, the approval is the latest bit of development news for an area just west of Journal Square. The West Side Square project just a few blocks away has kickstarted larger projects in the neighborhood, which is still mostly defined by shorter building heights.
Other approvals in place in the area include a 321-unit development at 166 Van Wagenen Avenue that was greenlit last summer and a 53-unit high-rise at 76-82 Liberty Avenue next to Brunswick Towers.