Housing Projects Slated for Demolition
The NY Times reports that Montgomery Gardens, a six tower housing project, will be demolished within two years. Rumors of their demise first appeared in March of 2007.
The nearly sixty year old towers have long been seen as an obstacle to the western expansion of gentrification. Sitting prominently on Montgomery Street a few blocks from the elevated Turnpike extension, the projects lay between the McGinley Square area and historic Van Vorst Park. More recently, luxury condominiums began opening in the Beacon, the former Jersey City Medical Center redevelopment that borders the Montgomery Gardens projects.
Crime has plagued the towers, with the city installing CCTV cameras in the buildings, hoping to thwart violent acts. The projects are also a lightening rod whenever downtown residents become crime victims.
Committing to the demolition of the structures leaves the city with a once in a generation opportunity to reinvent affordable housing. Various proposals under consideration -- submitted by four developers -- have the chance to integrate modern urban planning concepts including the integration of mixed incomes, easy access to employment and necessities.
One amenity seen as a must in the new development is a grocery store. Access to fresh food and grocery stores is one of the greatest problems facing the urban poor; transportation between housing and a grocery store is costly, and often leads to an unhealthy diet of high fat processed foods which are readily available. Metrovest Equities, one of the four developers under consideration and the developer behind the Beacon, insists there will be a “superduper supermarket” if their proposal is selected.
One side effect of the demolition of the housing projects may be fewer residents in need of affordable housing. Current residents will need to find temporary housing during the demolition and construction of new housing. Often the process leads many residents moving onto different communities.
The nearly sixty year old towers have long been seen as an obstacle to the western expansion of gentrification. Sitting prominently on Montgomery Street a few blocks from the elevated Turnpike extension, the projects lay between the McGinley Square area and historic Van Vorst Park. More recently, luxury condominiums began opening in the Beacon, the former Jersey City Medical Center redevelopment that borders the Montgomery Gardens projects.
Crime has plagued the towers, with the city installing CCTV cameras in the buildings, hoping to thwart violent acts. The projects are also a lightening rod whenever downtown residents become crime victims.
Committing to the demolition of the structures leaves the city with a once in a generation opportunity to reinvent affordable housing. Various proposals under consideration -- submitted by four developers -- have the chance to integrate modern urban planning concepts including the integration of mixed incomes, easy access to employment and necessities.
One amenity seen as a must in the new development is a grocery store. Access to fresh food and grocery stores is one of the greatest problems facing the urban poor; transportation between housing and a grocery store is costly, and often leads to an unhealthy diet of high fat processed foods which are readily available. Metrovest Equities, one of the four developers under consideration and the developer behind the Beacon, insists there will be a “superduper supermarket” if their proposal is selected.
One side effect of the demolition of the housing projects may be fewer residents in need of affordable housing. Current residents will need to find temporary housing during the demolition and construction of new housing. Often the process leads many residents moving onto different communities.
Labels: Jersey City
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