Development firm NUIC plans to redevelop a long-vacant site at 174-178 Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City as a five-story, 44-unit apartment building known as Harmony House. — Rendering courtesy: NUIC
By Joshua Burd
The Jersey City planning board has approved a developer’s plan to build 44 new apartments at a long-vacant site in the city’s Jackson Hill neighborhood.
According to the locally based firm, NUIC, the project at 174-178 Martin Luther King Drive will include 30 market-rate homes and 10 affordable housing units. The five-story building known as Harmony House will also include 1,788 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, as well as a garage with parking for 16 cars and 24 bike storage spaces.
NUIC principals Daniel Mirabel and Brenly Tolentino added that the project will rejuvenate a parcel that has languished unused for several decades, while filling a crucial gap in housing accessibility within the community.
“While Jersey City has been proactive in increasing its housing stock, projects like Harmony House ensure that growth is inclusive and benefits longtime residents,” Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said. “Led by lifelong Jersey City residents, this project reflects our commitment to balancing smart, sustainable growth with affordability, keeping Jersey City accessible to everyone.”
NUIC designed the project in collaboration with Jersey City-based Hampton Hill Architects and Hoboken’s Walk This House.
“Harmony House has the potential to transform Ward F and uplift the district,” Ward F Council Member Frank Gilmore said. “Projects like this bring new energy, investment and opportunity to the neighborhood.”
In addition to its residential and commercial components, the project will have a nearly 6,000-square-foot green roof, enhancing sustainability and promoting green spaces within the urban landscape.
“Harmony House is not just about providing housing — it’s about being a catalyst for positive change within the community, by members of the community,” Tolentino said. “In revitalizing this space, we aim to reignite the commercial district’s economic potential, fostering job creation and an overall more vibrant community.
“With 10 affordable housing units, Harmony House demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that diverse socioeconomic backgrounds can thrive in this community.”
Mirabel added: “Environment is the invisible hand that shapes our behaviors, and we hope to be architects of the environment with the Harmony House project.
“In addition, Harmony House symbolizes the emergence of a new generation of developers, who don’t necessarily mirror the last. We aim to bring fresh perspectives and inclusive practices to the forefront of urban development.”
