Tall & Urban News

The neighborhoods surrounding Jersey City’s Journal Square have quite a few high-rise developments that are either under construction or fully approved, and a new plan to bring a 27-story mixed-use development to four contiguous parcels on Summit Avenue was recently greenlit by the city’s planning board.

A Jersey City-based company called 626 Summit Ave LLC gained approvals from the planning board during their January 7, 2020 meeting to move ahead with developing the irregularly shaped lots that total about 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters). Designed by Hoboken-based MVMK Architecture, the project is being referred to as 622 Summit Avenue and will top out at 285 feet when completed.

The development will include 209 residential units, 1,372 square feet (127 square meters) of ground-floor retail space, and 16,000 square feet (148 square meters) of offices. The Journal Square 2060 Redevelopment Plan allows buildings on larger lots to include two additional stories and 28 feet (8.5 meters) in height in exchange for featuring office space.

The building’s podium will be clad with red brick that plays to the adjacent properties, while the tower will utilize aluminum panels of contrasting colors. The primary facade elements are matte white, while the intermediate floors will feature a charcoal grey. The southeast corner of the tower will sport cantilevered balconies that begin on the ninth floor, and the building’s rooftop will have an outdoor amenity space, plus a residents’ gym and lounge.

While 622 Summit Avenue has no affordable housing or parking included, there will be public park space at the rear of the building with opportunities for seating that overlooks the Bergen Arches, a mile-long former railroad trench that is transitioning to a “rails-to-trails” linear park. The abandoned rail tunnel has long been envisioned as a canvas to create new open space, and released renderings illustrate how the design of the development would link the building to the future park via stair access.

A 34-unit development was set for three of the parcels on the site, but that project never got built and this one has emerged in its place. The latest 27-story tower version was granted variances by the planning board for minimum building setbacks and minimum rear-yard setbacks during the approval process.

MVMK Architecture says they envision 622 Summit Avenue as a gateway project at the northern edge of Journal Square, but there’s no word on when the development could break ground.

For more on this story go to Jersey Digs.