An almost decade-long effort to assemble parcels — including land owned by New Jersey Transit — to build a transit-oriented commercial and residential development and provide more parking and better circulation at the South Orange Train Station appears to be moving forward.
Calling it “sensational” and something she is “very excited about,” South Orange Village President Sheena Collum said that Village officials had a very promising initial meeting with NJTransit and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority on October 18.
During her Village President’s update at the November 13 Board of Trustees meeting, Collum said that South Orange had been talking to the agencies about the sale of NJ Transit’s train station parking lot for “another equitable transit-oriented development project” that would include market rate and affordable housing and retail spaces, “but above and beyond that, replacement parking and a structured parking garage for the replacement parking and also for residential units and retail.”
“It will also provide for municipal offices in a best case scenario on the eastern portion of the lot. We’re talking about anywhere between 10-20,000 square feet, so we will have a permanent home as the result of our sale,” said Collum. Since the sale of Village Hall to Landmark Hospitality in 2016, the municipality has been renting office space at 76 South Orange Avenue.
“The next component, which is also very, very exciting, is effectuating phase three of the River Greenway Project, which would’ve been the hardest aspect of this project after phase two is done, which is over by Chyzowych Field — this connector that goes through a lot of private property and then also New Jersey Transit property. So having that partnership there will be absolutely spectacular.”
Collum warned that a municipal tax abatement will come with the project: “Everyone, be well aware that not only is this a project where there’s going to be significant density that has to provide for the other services and amenities and community benefits, and also have 20% inclusionary affordable housing, but it very likely will also require a financial agreement — without a doubt — for all the various components that we’re going to be negotiating as we head into this discussion.”
For history on the project, Collum referred community members to the Village’s most recent Master Plan and vision plan. “You can see documents 25-plus years back on developing a partnership with New Jersey Transit so that we can get away from the lowest and worst use of land to the highest and best use of land.”
The 2021 Master Plan (p. 122) notes that the Village should “[M]ake provisions for adequate downtown parking through optimizing the use of existing public and private parking assets across a 24- hour period (i.e. shared parking); the provision of long-term parking agreements upon which new development can rely; and consider the construction of a thoughtfully designed structured parking facility upon the NJTransit surface parking lot, between Church Street and the Rahway River. This facility would serve regional railroad commuters, patrons of downtown businesses, enables the construction of new ‘right-sized’ development on adjacent parcels and allow for the creation of usable public space outside of SOPAC.”
The redevelopment of the NJ Transit parking lot and area is referenced throughout the Master Plan, including in this slide on page 150:
The NJT development, as noted, would include a parcel at Church Street and South Orange Avenue owned by Ed Ayuso, who purchased the property in 2014 and demolished a building on the site in 2015 to make way for the development.
“So there’s a lot of good things coming out of this, and our next meeting is going to be in early December,” said Collum.
In a followup email, Collum emphasized that the fourth round of affordable housing obligations, mandated by the Fair Housing Act, are coming soon and the site has the potential to fulfill more than 75% of the number of units that will be required for the period of 2025-2035 for the Village. Read about South Orange’s third round affordable housing obligation settlement here and here.
Read more here:
- Church Street Lot Demolished to Make Way for New Development, Parking, May 13, 2015
- South Orange Looking to Buy Parking Lot From NJ Transit, September 1, 2016
- South Orange Planning Board Rules Favorably on Fair Share/Affordable Housing Settlement, January 11, 2020
