By Joshua Burd
A developer has broken ground on a new 337-unit luxury apartment building in Jersey City, marking the latest investment in the city’s fast-growing West Side neighborhood.
The firm, Halpern Real Estate Ventures, is eyeing a late 2023 delivery for the project at 49 Fisk St. after marking the start of site work earlier this week. Plans call for a six-story structure that will incorporate some 50,000 square feet of amenity space, offering a location two blocks from Route 440 and minutes from a growing mix of retail, dining and cultural offerings.
“The West Side of Jersey City has seen unprecedented transformation in a positive way over the last eight years,” Mayor Steve Fulop said at a Nov. 1 groundbreaking ceremony, citing a major campus expansion by New Jersey City University and plans for a 95-acre, mixed-use project known as Bayfront. The HREV project “is another step in that journey,” he said.
“For decades, the city struggled to get any sort of investment on the West Side, so today is symbolic in a meaningful way and sends a strong message about where the priorities are for Jersey City in making the West Side for everyone,” Fulop said. “Congratulations to the development team and I look forward to being back here in two years for the ribbon-cutting.”
Designed by Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners, 49 Fisk will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floorplans, according to a news release. The Meshberg Group is overseeing interiors and amenities, which will include efficient private and public co-working spaces, a 14,000-square-foot landscaped courtyard with green space, an 18,000-square-foot rooftop with a 360-degree view and a community garden.
HREV also detailed plans for a hotel-like lobby with an interconnected stair to the second floor, along with social spaces and options such as a speakeasy-style bar and a fitness center. The building will also have covered parking on site.
“Jersey City is a national success story, and Mayor Fulop has done a remarkable job spearheading investment and focus west of the waterfront which has led to improved infrastructure and the infusion of new residential, retail and lifestyle options across the city,” said Joel Halpern, managing director of investments for HREV. “This is certainly the case for the West Side, and we’re excited to contribute to the growth and vitality of this emerging neighborhood.”
The developer has tapped The Corcoran Group as its marketing and leasing agent. It will hope to lure renters with what also be a focus on sustainability, thanks in part to features such as a waste diversion and energy recovery system, rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and rainwater collection for irrigation uses.
The building will rise minutes from other high-profile redevelopment sites, including NJCU’s 22-acre University Place project along Route 440, which will include a performing arts center. HREV also cited the growing neighborhood amenities and the site’s proximity to Jersey City’s 273-acre Lincoln Park.
