I heard that the building at 5th & Brunswick will be a 12 story condo building. The developer who bought the property from the metal artist, went and got the approval from the Planning Board but he then re-sold the property -- the new owner did get a 2-story addition approved by the Planning Board a few months ago, but for whatever reasons changed their minds and knocked the entire building down a few weeks ago. They are now going with the 12 story design.

Not sure if this is true but I would like to know and I would like to see the plans.

It certainly does seem like it will be a tall building. The pilings are being doubled up to a depth of 80+ feet (some of the ones in the ground are marked to 43 ft and have connection caps on them; others that haven't been driven in have markings to 87'). I can't imagine they'd be going that deep if they were only going to build 4 stories. The foundation of a 3-story multi-family across the street from this one was poured a little over a year ago, and did not have any pilings pounded into the ground beforehand. Also given that the warehouse they tore down was about 3 stories in height (with its high first floor ceiling), I find it hard to believe they would only be building 3-4 stories (it would probably have made more sense economically to just add onto the warehouse in that case).

I'm thinking about stopping in 30 Montgomery sometime this week to get some info since this building is so close to where I live (plus I'm curious to see what 380 Newark Ave is going to look like).

I think I also might ask Binny what's going on with the plans to replace his store with that 4-story building next time I stop in.

Thanks jcwalkingman and NNJR for the info.

How is it that no one knows for sure what this new building at 5th Street and Brunswick will look like? Will this just be a four story condo building -- with all the metal going in -- it sure seems to say it'll be much MUCH larger than four stories.

Yeah, as you said "this little corner of downtown is starting to explode with new construction!" There is even more, Binny's Liquor Store is also getting the OK to build a four story Condo building there too -- it's so much stuff all at once.


Quote:

Well, a few months ago, a 2-story addition was approved for the building by the Planning Board. Of course, they knocked the entire building down a few weeks ago and then brought in the crane on Wednesday after marking up the site and doing other prep work.

Even more surprising than this one and the one going up at 3rd & Brunswick is the MASSIVE 12-story building that's about to go U/C at 380 Newark Ave, on a lot surrounded by all the auto shops. An excavator was dropped off there this morning, and the building to be torn down has markings all over it. This little corner of downtown is starting to explode with new construction!

On that note, does anyone know what's going on across the street with the other 12-story building at 361 Newark? The site was so active up til about winter, but ever since then, it's been dead quiet (they pretty much stopped working there around the time the Planning Board approved the increase in height from 6 to 12 stories). I suspect that they're just waiting for permits, but I could be wrong.

Does anyone have any information on the new (huge) building going up at 5th & Brunswick Streets? There is a 6 story crain and pile-driver putting in very long & very wide ( in diameter) steel pilings -- does anyone know what this future building will be? It is across from Madam Claude's French Bistro -- on the large lot that was owned by a local metal artist until very recently -- it is located just off Newark Avenue on Brunswick. For a map click on
http://www.madameclaudecafe.com/directions.htm

It is amazing -- there is also another new condo building ( 3 or 4 stories but nothing like the scale of this new project at 5th & Brunswick ) going up at 3rd & Brunswick Streets right now.