A mixed-use development at 405-415 North Ave. in Dunellen would bring 50 new apartments and commercial space to a site that includes the Dunellen Rescue Squad and a vacant Bank of America branch. — Rendering courtesy: Taylor Architecture & Design
By Joshua Burd
A developer has secured a key approval for a project that would bring 50 new apartments and commercial space to Dunellen’s growing downtown.
According to Taylor Architecture & Design, which is part of the development team, the space would occupy a ground-up three-story building at 405-415 North Ave. Plans call for a mix of floorplans ranging from studio to three-bedroom units, with seven of the dwellings reserved as affordable housing, along with a series of resident amenities and exterior streetscape upgrades.
Dunellen’s planning board approved the project during a unanimous vote earlier this month, Taylor said. According to MyCentralJersey.com, that puts the borough one step closer to revitalizing a site that includes the Dunellen Rescue Squad and a vacant Bank of America branch, in a plan that will build on other multifamily and mixed-use development nearby.
The report noted that borough officials are working with the rescue squad to redevelop an abandoned property at 635 Bound Brook Road for a new headquarters.
“The redevelopment of the old rescue squad property will support Dunellen’s efforts to revitalize downtown, generate additional revenue for the borough, and enhance the area’s appearance,” Mayor Jason F. Cilento said, according to MyCentralJersey.com. “Meanwhile, the new rescue squad building will replace the abandoned structure with a state-of-the-art facility, bringing new life to our downtown, helping the volunteer organization sustain itself for years to come, and attracting new volunteers as they embark on this exciting new chapter.”
Taylor Architecture’s Italo Teixeria, a Dunellen resident, designed the project, while the firm’s Brian Taylor presented it to borough officials. They noted that the new building’s exterior would aim to satisfy the architectural requirements of the local redevelopment plan, which emphasizes transit-inspired architecture, using brick masonry and authentic architectural detailing consistent with Dunellen’s history as a railroad town.
All units at 405-415 North Ave. will be ADA adaptable, according to a news release. Building amenities, meantime, would include covered secured parking, first-floor lounges, a game room, a business center, a community kitchen and a gym.
The second floor would allow for large private balconies for some units, as well as a 2,000-square-foot common landscaped rooftop amenity deck. Landscaping, streetscape and lighting improvements are part of the application as part of compliance with the redevelopment plan.
The development team also includes land use attorney Peter Lanfrit of Savo Schalk Corsini Warner Gillespie O’Grodnick & Fisher PA, civil engineer Richard Adelsohn of Frank Lehr & Associates, traffic engineer Elizabeth Dolan of Dolan & Dean Consulting Engineers and professional planner Kevin O’Brien.
