Jersey City moves forward with twin tower reconstruction project at former DMV site

A state office building near one of Jersey City’s largest transportation hubs may soon be replaced by another pair of residential towers as plans to add more housing to Journal Square move forward.

At its June 25 meeting, the Jersey City Planning Commission gave preliminary approval to transform a 1.39-acre parcel at 438 Summit Ave. The triangular parcel, located on an elevated ledge next to the PATH train tracks, currently houses the Jersey City State Office Building and the Department of Motor Vehicles and other government agencies.

The plan to redevelop the property is being brought forward by 438 Realty Associates LLC, a Newark-registered company. The current plan fully complies with zoning regulations in the Journal Square 2060 redevelopment plan and would demolish everything on the property.

Designed by Hoboken-based MVMK Architecture + Design, the future plan for 438 Summit Avenue includes two 25-story mixed-use towers, with a maximum height of 265 ft. The project will feature 709 apartments in a smaller mix of 220 studios, 384 one-bedrooms, 90 two-bedrooms and 15 three-bedrooms.

The project will feature a double-height retail space on the ground floor, with 3,050 square feet on the first floor and 3,100 square feet on the second floor. The two high-rise buildings will be connected by a three-story plinth, which will include a third-floor amenity space of 25,700 square feet that will be accessible from both buildings.

The rooftop of the fourth-floor podium will also feature an outdoor terrace between the towers, while the tops of both towers will feature more than 2,000 square feet of indoor public amenity space and an outdoor pool area.

The project has 170 parking spaces for cars and 359 parking spaces for bicycles in the basement. 425 Summit Avenuecomposed of white brick components and composite aluminum panels.

The report before the Planning Commission did not specify where the DMV and other offices would be moved if the proposal moves forward. Preliminary approval means the developer must coordinate with the engineering and transportation departments before receiving final approval for the project to move forward.

The board granted the developer’s attorney’s request to extend the initial approval by five years, a move that perhaps signals that the project is a long-term effort and that state offices don’t appear to be leaving any time soon.