Summit Street Development Group has proposed building a 14-unit condominium building at the corner of Summit and James streets in downtown Newark, as depicted in this rendering by Taylor Architecture & Design. — Courtesy: Taylor
By Joshua Burd
Newark’s zoning board has approved plans for a new 14-unit condominium building some two blocks south of Interstate 280 and NJ Transit’s Broad Street station.
According to Taylor Architecture & Design, which presented the application, the project by Summit Street Development Group would repurpose a cluster of parcels at the corner of Summit and James streets. The five-story building would rise just west of Saint Michael’s Medical Center and north of the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s campus, bringing additional for-sale housing to the James Street Commons Historic District and part of the Broad Street Station Redevelopment Plan Area.
The zoning board voted 5-1 in favor of the application, which included variances for front yard setback and building height, during a special virtual hearing on June 30, Taylor Architecture said. The project includes properties at 8 and 10 Summit St. and 110 James St.
“The exterior of the building is a combination of stone and brick veneer as well as composite fiber cement panels,” Brian Taylor, the firm’s president, wrote in a description of the project. “As new construction in a historic district, extra care and attention was given to exterior materials and most importantly architectural feature and detailing that was sensitive and mindful of the neighboring historic context.”
Taylor designed the building, which includes six one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom condos with high-end kitchens and in-unit washers and dryers, according to a news release. The project includes some private balconies, as well as a common roof deck, a fitness center, tenant storage and bicycle storage.
The North Plainfield-based firm noted that the project will help create affordable for-sale housing options in Newark, which is a key priority for local leaders. Its developer, Shariff James, is a longtime city resident and entrepreneur.
The project team also includes land use attorney Juliana Blackburn, civil engineer Josh Kline of Stonefield Engineering and professional planner John McDonough of John McDonough Associates LLC.
