First and Jersey Project Rises Rapidly

On the corner of Jersey Avenue and First Street, a small development broke ground this summer and rapidly ascended. There was a small crisis when the wall nearly collapsed -- the wrong type of braces were installed. But since making the necessary repairs, the building has progressed quickly.

The lot was formerly a fenced in, paved over space used only part of the year to sell Christmas trees. It appears the base will contain a retail space, with apartments above. The building only yards from Newark Avneue.

Sneaker Boutique Opens On Jersey Avenue

At the end of August, a new sneaker boutique opened on Jersey Avenue. The store identifies itself as selling "streetwear" brands, and is also a graphic design house. Daily Dose is located at 510 Jersey Avenue, between Wayne and Columbus.

Daily Dose

70 Greene Street

Only a few more of the upper floors on 70 Greene Street still need glass, as seen here on Saturday afternoon.

213 Newark Avenue

213 Newark Avenue is now one floor high, though construction is now at a snail's pace.

Liberty Harbor Slammed By City, Courts

The Liberty Harbor North development has been having a rough week. The city is demanding payment of $100,000 in unpaid fees for the operation of a parking lot, a judge awarded $18 million to a property for land seized through eminent domain, and the city is fining the developer for an illegal billboard.

Liberty Harbor has been operating a parking lot on Jersey Avenue, the future site of retail building and parking garage in the development. The lot was leased to the board of education to provide parking for faculty, but developer Peter Mocco has not been paying city parking taxes for the spaces. Now the city is looking for $100,000 from the last year that went unpaid.

In an unrelated ruling, a segment of land within the development will cost about four times as much as had been previously paid. A three and a half acre lot in the redevelopment zone was seized through eminent by the city, and bought back by Mocco. A judge ruled the property owner should have been paid $18 million, and ultimately that will come back to being the developer's responsibility.

Finally, an advertising billboard on Grand Street violates city codes, and the city is fining the developer more than $1,000.

Liberty Harbor North is a long planned development that will eventually have between 8,000 and 10,000 housing units, a million square feet of office space, and retail districts. Construction in the first phase has slowed following last years mortgage crisis and a dearth of new buyers. Three new streets of faux brownstones have so far been completed and two larger buildings; a third larger building is currently under construction. Mocco stated several months ago that there would no new construction for a least a year, save for the completion of the half built buildings.

Other lots in the redevelopment zone are being built by third party contractors, including a residential tower that broke ground on Grand Street last week.

Trump 45% Sold

The Times reports that Tower 1 at Trump Plaza is about 45% sold, or 200 of 440 units. Trump himself has taken to the radio waves in recent weeks, hawking the units with his usual brusque manner.

Trump marketing also has in the past flown airplanes trailed by banners up and down the Hudson River; such sights are common to the Jersey Shore, but usually pushing beer specials and ladies' nights rather than condominiums.

A second tower and enlarged parking deck are planned for the site, but given the current conditions, is more likely delayed.

Belfuse Breaks Ground

The Belfuse Site in May 2007

The site for The Belfuse is once again active after breaking ground in January 2007 and sitting idle for more than 18 months. The ground was covered with black plastic, venting, and piping, leading to speculation there was some form of remediation required before construction could continue.

The site was once home to the Bel Fuse company headquarters that relocated across the street two years ago. The Belfuse, or 198 Van Vorst Street, is a Fields Development Group project with 52 units. The building is architecturally similar to many low rise projects in Hoboken and the Paulus Hook neighborhood that mimic historic styles with a more modern twist.

Pile Driver Appears on Grand Street Lot

A pile driver showed up this week on the lot immediately north of Gulls Cove on a lot in the Liberty Harbor North development zone bound by Grand Street and Marin blvd. Several piles have been driven into the ground, though these might be test pilings rather than a sign construction has started.

The lot, according to a map from the city's Division of Planning, is to be a residential tower built by Applied Development. Applied Development operates several rental towers in Jersey City including nearby 50 Columbus and The Gotham.

Work at many other downtown projects slowed or stalled earlier this year as credit became more difficult to come by.

Lights Mark World Trade Center

The twin beams of light marking the World Trade Center have returned for September 11th. The lights are not in the location of the former towers.

Trump Launches Radio Campaign

Donald Trump is personally urging prospective home buyers to consider Trump Plaza, Jersey City, in a new radio advertising campaign that probably indicates sales are slow, or as rumors put it, non-existent. The first tower opened earlier this year and the word on the street is the place is a ghost town. The second tower is indefinitely delayed.

Trump's Jersey City property has been dealt a double blow in the last year. Not only are buyers more scarce, but development of the neighborhood itself has come to a halt. The tower overlooks 111 First Street, a site that a year ago was scheduled to become the Rem Koolhaas "vertical city." Instead, the lot has become a staging site for construction of another tower, 110 First Street, also delayed due to a financing problem. All in all, that leaves Trump's current residents feeling a little lonely and short on retail options.

BJ's Carts Keep PATH Running

The plague of BJ's shopping carts in downtown Jersey seems to be slowly subsiding as the wholesale retailer begins installing locking mechanisms on the carts. However, that hasn't stopped Port Authority employees / contractors from making use of the carts as they do maintenance work in Hoboken.