The Kaplan family, as well as company staff and Sayreville Councilman Michael Colaci, gathered June 11 to celebrate the opening of Camelot West at TowneLake, a 176-unit rental property at 5101 Brown Road in Sayreville. — Courtesy: Kaplan Cos.
By Joshua Burd
Kaplan Cos. has opened the doors to a new 176-unit rental property in Sayreville, its latest project during six decades of development in the borough.
According to the firm, the property known as Camelot West at TowneLake will cater to the town’s growing population of young professionals and commuters. That has meant creating homes with upscale kitchens and living spaces and amenities such as pools, a resident lounge, a fitness center, a firepit and a bark park.
Kaplan joined local officials on Tuesday to unveil the project at 5101 Brown Road.
“Over the years, my family has constructed single-family homes, townhouses and condos in Sayreville that were specifically designed to appeal to the needs of residents at that time,” said Jason Kaplan, president of Kaplan Cos. “That is why we are so eager to unveil Camelot West at TowneLake, which reflects what borough residents are seeking now and in the years to come.”
Located off Main Street, the new development includes one- and two-bedroom units. It’s also adjacent to Townelake, a multiphase, single-family neighborhood of almost 400 homes and 184 apartments that Kaplan constructed, all of which centers on a manmade lake created by the historic Sayre & Fisher Brick Co., which mined the sand to make bricks.
Kaplan added that the property evokes the borough’s rich heritage, with a wall honoring Sayre & Fisher that features some of the company’s original bricks.
“While this community looks beautiful now, that was certainly not the case just a few years ago,” Kaplan said. “Industry stripped the land of all its natural features to the point that there was nothing here but a moonscape and the natural groundwater. This site was nothing but an eyesore, devoid of structural integrity. But, today, it is bucolic here, an amazing source of pride for our company and an ideal example of reclamation.”
Kaplan, which has built homes across New Jersey, began developing in Sayreville in the 1960s. The Highland Park-based firm’s latest project in the borough also pays homage to its late patriarch, Michael Kaplan, with a communal outdoor grilling and firepit space known as Michael’s Flame and Flavor Terrace.
“My father, who we lost last year, was always a big fan of enjoying our family gathering at the pool and enjoying a good barbeque,” Kaplan said. “We want that tradition to carry on at each community, where residents gather by the firepit and enjoy good food and friendship.”
During the celebration, Kaplan presented a $1,000 donation to Art Rittenhouse of the Sayreville Historical Society to support its educational endeavors in the community.
Kaplan debuts new townhomes in Sayreville, completing 1,500-unit development after 35 years
