user1111 wrote:
Quote:

user1111 wrote:
I thought I give this a try, behind the Richard street lightrail and Bayside Park there is some construction going on. They are tearing out all the trees behind the light rail just up from Pole Position Raceway. Anyone knows what is going on?

After doing some research and talking to neighbors I figured it out..



A new transit-oriented neighborhood within the City of Jersey City The Canal Crossing Redevelopment Plan Area is approximately 111 acres in area and is located in the southeastern section of the City of Jersey City. It was formed from the southern portion of the Morris Canal Redevelopment Area and a portion of the Claremont Industrial Redevelopment Area. The Canal Crossing Redevelopment Area is now a separate distinct redevelopment area within the City of Jersey City.

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) system runs along both the northern and eastern borders of the area. The Westside connector branch of the HBLR forms the northern border of the Redevelopment Area and the Garfield Avenue station is located at the north-west corner of the Area. The Bayonne line forms the eastern border of the Area. A new station is proposed on this line at the eastern terminus of Caven Point Avenue within the Area. The Morris Canal once traversed the Redevelopment Area in a general north & south alignment near the western edge of the Redevelopment Area.

The Morris Canal was a major regional freight transportation route. In the nineteenth century, it fostered the growth of heavy industrial uses. Later, when the canal fell into disuse, it was abandoned and filled in. Railroad freight lines and heavy trucks replaced the canal in servicing the existing industries. The existing Lafayette residential community, just to the north, shared in the benefits of the industrial growth of the area. The industrial growth in turn led to the development of nearby housing for the people who worked in the plants and mills. This type of mixed industrial / residential neighborhood, common to the Northeast in the 19th century, was successful until the middle of the 20th century when heavy industry began to leave urban areas behind. During this transition, the surrounding residential neighborhoods changed as well.

As jobs were lost and land prices fell, neighborhoods deteriorated and the industries that remained were generally those that had the most noxious environmental impact. These uses also encroached on the residential areas, further depressing land values.

The industrial history of the area has left a landscape of obsolete structures and properties, many of which contain contaminated soil and require remediation. Historically, developers have avoided redeveloping brownfields due to the high costs and fear of liability. However, recent legislation has reduced these risks and made brownfields in urban areas more desirable for development. At the same time, recent State development policy has sought to direct new development into cities and towns where necessary infrastructure and mass transit already exists, and away from ?green? fields so as to diminish the negative impacts of suburban sprawl.

It is now time to begin the process of re-planning and redeveloping this former industrial area from the 19th and early 20th century into a new, vibrant mixed-use residential neighborhood for the 21st century.

This Plan envisions a neighborhood incorporating the best principals of sustainable development. The Plan is based on the combined principals of Smart Growth, New Urbanism and Green Building. The intent is to create an open network of streets interconnected within the Area, as well as with the neighborhoods to the west and north. The street system provides for the extension of the existing grid into the Area. The scale and character of the street grid is intended to provide appropriate access to all portions of the Canal Crossing neighborhood. The open network of small city blocks will allow for multiple alternate routes of travel and slower vehicular travel speeds. This will result in a more interesting and varied pedestrian environment and provide for safe convenient pedestrian access to mass transit, commercial facilities and public open space amenities throughout the Area.

Convenient commercial facilities and services are envisioned near each of the light rail stations. The larger of the commercial clusters is proposed nearer to the proposed Caven Point Avenue light-rail station. This portion of the Redevelopment Area is envisioned as the town center for the Canal Crossing neighborhood and a ?Town Square? is proposed for this area.

Additional urban scale parks are proposed within the Canal Crossing neighborhood to provide locations for people to gather, passive recreation, children?s playgrounds and similar activities. A prime open space feature of the Canal Crossing neighborhood will be the creation of ?Canal Way?, an expansive green way built over the former bed of the Morris Canal. This green way will be extended over time and interconnected with other green spaces along the former Morris Canal to form a continuous green way throughout the City of Jersey City. Canal Way will be interconnected with the new Berry Lane park currently being planned for 17 acres just north of the development on the other side of the Westside Connector light rail line. An important intent of this plan is to provide for a pedestrian connection to Liberty State Park from the eastern terminus of Caven Point Avenue. A new school site is also proposed toward the southern end of the Canal Crossing neighborhood, located such that it can serve the needs of the new neighborhood, as well as the existing neighborhood to the west.

It is the intent of this Plan to provide for a diversity of uses, and also a diversity of housing and building types. Housing developed within the Canal Crossing neighborhood will include market rate housing, work-force housing and housing affordable to persons of low and moderate income. Both rental and for-sale housing will be constructed. Various building sizes will also be provided. Much of the Area is envisioned as being low to mid-rise in scale and character, four to eight stories. However, some high-rise structures, of approximately 12 stories, will also be allowed in areas in close proximity to the light rail stations. This variety of building height and scale will provide for greater architectural interest and allow for greater housing diversity in terms of unit types.

In order to promote sustainable development within the Canal Crossing neighborhood, all new buildings will be required to incorporate ?Green Building? technologies and development practices as outlined in the ?LEED for New Construction Rating System?. In fact, the entire Canal Crossing neighborhood is envisioned as a sustainable community incorporating walkable streets; convenient access to mass transit, commercial services, community facilities and open space; reduced reliance on the automobile; a diversity of building sizes, housing types and affordability ranges; all interconnected to each other and the existing street network and fabric of the surrounding neighborhoods and the City of Jersey City in general.

Redevelopment of this area will also encourage the upgrading of roadways and utilities in the surrounding area, encourage reinvestment and neighborhood stability and provide for the environmental remediation of properties within the Redevelopment Area.

user1111 wrote:
I thought I give this a try, behind the Richard street lightrail and Bayside Park there is some construction going on. They are tearing out all the trees behind the light rail just up from Pole Position Raceway. Anyone knows what is going on?

VanVorster wrote:
Agree tommy, I saw that a nail salon was going there this morning. I was surprised. There are so many nail salons here not sure how they have so much business and how often do women get their nails done? Anyway I live in the vicinity and was hoping for a bar or this place which was a vendor at jcproject http://animalsnyc.com

tommyc_37 wrote:
Update on the old meat market on Grove Street between Montgomery and York. There is a sign that says Coming Soon: Beauty Nail Salon.

Can't say I'm terribly excited about that one :)

Seems like there are a ton of nail salons all over downtown. Wish it was something more unique, like a restaurant or bar, seeing that it's a great location.

skyl4rk wrote:
Quote:

tommyc_37 wrote:
Looks like the former Europa space on Jersey Ave is going to be a restaurant. Anybody have any Intel on what it will be?

A little bird told me that it was going to be a fresh pasta place - with possible ties to Eataly in the city.

tommyc_37 wrote:
Looks like the former Europa space on Jersey Ave is going to be a restaurant. Anybody have any Intel on what it will be?

SRhia wrote:
How about the corner place on the same block - at the corner of York and Grove? Used to be a real estate office (?), been empty for a while now???

Adonis wrote:
A Whole Foods.

rycor wrote:
There are a few things that appear to be in the works on Erie.

... looks to be something else around 3rd/4th mid block.