Shovels are in the ground and remediation work is under way at the city’s southwest corner as the Kaplan Companies ready to begin work on phase one of its residential Promenade at Bayonne development, a city official said.
Work being done late last month at the site, at the intersection of Avenue A and West 1st Street, included the placement of a large amount of fill to create a rain flood plain there, according to Municipal Services Director Robert Wondolowski, who is shepherding Bayonne’s redevelopment efforts. Business administrator Joseph DeMarco and City Planner Sue Mack have also been involved with the project.
The area, including the adjacent Starting Point Bar & Grill at 2 Ave. A, was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The Starting Point was completely renovated after the hurricane.
Remediation work was also necessary because the units will be constructed on the former Texaco Chevron fuel storage and distribution facility.
“Texaco did a lot of remediation of their area,” Wondolowski said. “They were extremely helpful.”
That work included cleaning up oil and chemicals which had seeped into the ground, according to Wondolowski. As of mid-December, the work was about 80 percent completed.
Kaplan was expected to begin actual development work by the summer, with a mid-2016 expected completion.
“The more shovels in the ground is a good thing for Bayonne.” – Robert Wondolowski
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The recent activity breathes new life into the downtown development planned for years.
“It was stalled for a long time,” Wondolowski said. “It’s been in the works for a while.”
The project calls for about 200 units to be built during the first of six phases, he said. The site could wind up with nearly 1,000 units after six years, depending on the market for them. Rentals will include one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Phase one calls for the construction of two five-story multi-family residential buildings with ground-level parking, a community park with athletic fields, and a waterfront walkway.
The total project has already been approved by the Planning Board, according to Wondolowski. It included a number of technical and planning revisions, as well as height variances.
“We’re giving them the opportunities to be successful,” he said.
The plans for Promenade were approved during the administration of former mayor Mark Smith, but additional revisions have been made since that time to allow for current economic conditions.
Among those was to allow for a Panera Bread-like store or other “higher-end” business, according to Wondolowski.
Talks have been cooperative and amicable.
“We want to get it started,” Wondolowski said. “The more shovels in the ground is a good thing for Bayonne.”
Trend toward Bayonne
Wondolowski said the movement on the Promenade project and other recent inquiries by developers point to interest in building “trending toward Bayonne.”
Mayor James Davis has said that he would like to welcome residents of New York, Hoboken, and Jersey City who are being priced out of those cities.
“What we see happening is the rental market growing and growing,” Wondolowski said.
Kaplan investments
Preliminary Promenade site plans submitted to the city outlined first-floor retail and office space on West 1st Street facing Kennedy Boulevard.
The Promenade project continues Kaplan’s investment in the city. The $22 million, 96-unit Camelot at Bayonne rental complex at 42 Kennedy Boulevard opened in October.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.