Property acquisition moving forward

Property acquisition for the proposed Bridgeview development is moving ahead with an offer on one property and a potential site identified to relocate a PSE&G substation.

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The agency has submitted an offer for one of the six Essex Street homes included in the concept plan and a potential site for PSE&G also has been found, Redevelopment Director Robert Landolfi told commissioners during his executive director’s report at the Feb. 17 Redevelopment Agency meeting. Owners of that property will be put in contact with the utility so they can have discussions themselves, he said.

Acquisitions, as well as all the soft costs, will be covered by the the developer, per the pre-development agreement with Tesla Development. In all, the Bridgeview proposal envisions acquiring 11 properties, including six residential homes, that comprise the block surrounded by Clarkson Place and Essex, Bridge and Monroe Streets, in addition to the PSE&G substation at Monroe Street and Clarkson Place.

At its December meting, the Redevelopment Agency entered into a pre-development agreement with Tesla Redevelopment for the 300-unit Bridgeview concept. “The purpose of that agreement was to allow us to participate in the potential purchase of two pieces of property included in the development,” Redevelopment Director Robert Landolfi told commissioners during his executive director’s report at the Feb. 17 Redevelopment Agency meeting.

The Redevelopment Agency has designated Tesla Redevelopment as redeveloper of the site but the 300-unit project still has to come before the Planning Board. There’s also the matter of acquiring all 11 properties on the block.

Tesla Redevelopment initially proposed about 174 units in 2017 that would take up about five lots on the block surrounded by Clarkson Place, Essex, Monroe and Bridge streets. Developers presented a revised concept in November for 300 units across two buildings that would take up the entire block but splitting it with a new street through the middle.

The revised concept plan also proposes three new park spaces. In addition to a small triangular park at the corner of Essex and Bridge streets, double rows of trees would be planted along Monroe Street and Clarkson Place, which could become the beginning of a more active development of park space along the Rahway River.