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TOD on the
Other Side of Jersey City: West Side Avenue Station
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The Hudson-Bergen
Light Rail line (HBLR) has not only stimulated
development along the Hudson River waterfront
where tony high-rise condominiums and rental apartments
offer million dollar views of Manhattan, it has
also given the more modest neighborhoods along
its western spur (Liberty State Park to West Side
Avenue) a valuable amenity as well.
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blocks from the West Side Avenue Station, new
townhomes and lofts are being built by Centex
Homes, a national builder based in Dallas.
CityHomes at Westside Station is one of their
many projects in redeveloping areas. Centex representatives
are emphatic that the presence of the light rail
station and the transportation options are what
draw buyers to this location.
The site is slated to contain
120 homes - 88 lofts in two buildings and 32 stacked
townhomes and studios (studios over towns). Construction
is well under way and several of the stacked townhouse
buildings are sold out. Base prices range between
$300,000 to $470,000; one-, two- and three- bedroom
units offered in a variety of floor plans.
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Source: www.centexhomes.com
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The Centex development is an
early step toward the larger goals for Jersey
City's West Side: the Bayside Redevelopment Vision
Plan that encompasses 75 acres between Communipaw,
Bergen and Stevens Avenues and Newark Bay. A key
player is the New
Jersey City University (NJCU) which is located
proximate to the West Side Avenue Station.
NJCU, in conjunction with the
Jersey City Board of Education, is developing
21 acres that it owns within the Bayside Redevelopment
area. This expansion, known as West Campus, will
include retail space, housing, academic teaching
spaces, academic office spaces, and primary and
secondary schools. The buildings will be organized
on a new street grid, clearly defined by the building
facades, with ample pedestrian-friendly sidewalks
connecting a variety of public spaces. Currently,
the site is being cleaned up and cleared of old
industrial buildings. The West Campus is
within walking distance of the West Side LRT station.
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West Campus Rendering
Source: www.njcu.edu
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Improvements Made to Cinnaminson
Light Rail Station
| Kaplan Companies
of Highland Park, has completed a $50,000 retrofit
to Cinnaminson's RiverLINE
light rail station to improve access for homeowners
in the company's new Villages at Cinnaminson
Harbour project. Improvements include a pedestrian
crossing of River Road (Highway 543), sidewalks,
handicap ramp, lighting, and pedestrian crossover
of the tracks.
Located on the banks of the Delaware
River, the 911-unit subdivision in Burlington
County will include a mix of townhouses, carriage
homes, condominiums, and villas, as well as several
shops and a marina. Of these units, 511 will be
condos and 400 will be rental units with 136 set
aside as affordable housing. To date, 95 percent
of the first 150 homes have sold. In mid-March,
the company opened the next phase — 33 townhouses
and 36 carriage homes. Units are currently listed
to sell from $189,000 to $284,000.
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Cinnaminson Station Improvements
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RiverLINE (featured in Volume
1, Issue 2 of the Transit-Friendly Development
newsletter) runs through Mercer, Burlington, and Camden
counties along the Delaware River, and serves commuters
between Trenton and Camden, with transfers to downtown
Trenton and Philadelphia.
In other activities near the Cinnaminson
RiverLINE station, a developer (1714 Bannard Street
LLC) is currently building a business park across River
Road from the station. The 105,000 square foot park
will include office, restaurant, and storage space.
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