It was the dog days of summer, and I was standing with Joe DeMarco and Rob Wondolowski in—well—a huge field of weeds on the former military base known as the Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne. I’m no botanist, but it looked like maybe thistles, brambles, goldenrod, sumac, ragweed, and let’s hope no poison ivy. There were probably critters in there, too, but we didn’t see anything furry or slithery.
DeMarco is the Bayonne business administrator, and Wondolowski is director of the Department of Municipal Services. On one hand, you could say that you need to be a gifted visionary to imagine the residential complex that will become Harbor Station North on this patch of earth.
But not really. It’s actually the perfect locale to develop rentals for urban living. Standing here, you can get your bearings: You’re between 40th and Center streets, just east of 440 and two light rail stations, and just north of the new fire station. Beyond that are South Cove Commons and the Bayonne Golf Course—and of course Bayonne Harbor and the waterfront.
In late 2016 you could be living at Chosin Few Way. OK, so it’s not Broadway or the Boulevard, but you just might feel like the chosen few if you get in on the ground floor.
There will be two 200-unit structures on 19 acres. Though only four stories tall, there will be views of the water and some retail.
It will be developed by the Fidelco Group, which has developed other areas of the Jersey waterfront, including those in Edgewater, Weehawken, and Jersey City.
“It will attract young professionals who work in Manhattan, who have disposable incomes,” DeMarco says. “The new residents in 400 units will support Broadway and local businesses in town, eating out, ordering out, going to the bar on a Tuesday, to the gas station, to buy coffee at Judicke’s, Venice for pizza, Rincon for Spanish. There is no need to go to Hoboken or Jersey City.”
This young, hip crowd will also encourage new businesses such as art galleries and antique shops in the vein of the Classic Skate Shop, according to Wondolowski.
Buzz About the Base
“The average person is excited that action is taking place on the base, though some may disagree with the style or size of the development,” DeMarco says. “No taxes were being generated on this land, and they are happy to see movement.”
With so much open space, green areas are expected to be part of the development plan. One of the most important factors in new waterfront development is easy access for the many Manhattan commuters.
Wondolowski says that plans are being discussed for a high-speed ferry system that would go to South Street, Chelsea, and various stops in Hudson County’s waterfront towns. There will also be easy access to the 45th and 34th Street light rail stops, and possibly a jitney such as the one that currently runs from the Alexan City View apartments. He also points to the Exit 14A improvements from the N.J. Turnpike, which will “better manage traffic off the streets of Bayonne, have wider tolls, and provide direct access to the Peninsula.”
The project is expected to break ground in the spring of 2015 and open 18 to 20 months later. Says DeMarco, “It will be a nice property and an asset to the community.”—Kate Rounds