LeFrak aims to build 322 apartments across two towers, of 13 and 19 stories, as part of a project at 853 Jersey Ave. in Jersey City. — Rendering by HLW/Courtesy: LeFrak
By Joshua Burd
LeFrak has secured a key approval to build another 322 apartments in Jersey City, joining a growing list of developers in an area just south of Hoboken and west of the Holland Tunnel.
The firm, long known for its flagship Newport community less than a mile away, aims to build a 13-story tower and a second with 19 stories as part of the project at 853 Jersey Ave. The proposal took a step forward this week with approval by the city’s planning board, with the developer noting that it was “transforming what were abandoned rail lines and deserted industrial facilities into a state-of-the-art residential showplace.”
The project will also develop a lot that was originally slated to be a gas station.
“The exterior design pays homage to Jersey City’s proud manufacturing and industrial history with its brick façade and warehouse windows,” said Jeremy Farrell, managing director for development and community relations at LeFrak. “This project will help ease the pressure on local rent by addressing unmet demand. There will be ground-floor retail to bring meaningful street-level activity. Moreover, it will increase tax revenue and economic activity in the neighborhood and the city as a whole.”
The LeFrak family has pioneered the mixed-use neighborhood in Jersey City known as Newport, where it has transformed hundreds of acres of former industrial property over the course of four decades. With its Jersey Avenue project, it will help continue the revitalization of another longtime industrial neighborhood that has welcomed thousands of new apartments in recent years, creating a burgeoning residential area.
