Pompton Lakes Luxury apartment plan redesigned
Joe Romano, a principal with Accordia Realty discusses revised plans for luxury apartments in downtown Pompton Lakes Aug. 17, 2017 before the Redevelopment Agency. Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com
Accordia Realty, revised drawings, Pompton Lakes, N.J." />Accordia Realty presented revised drawings on Thursday for an apartment and retail project on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes.(Photo: Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com)
POMPTON LAKES — Revised plans for downtown luxury apartments on Wanaque Avenue will spare the beloved Cardinal Cafe.
A substantial redesign of Accordia Realty's five-story residential and retail building reduces the number of apartment units to 44 from 82.
One of the owners of Accordia described the changes and presented new conceptual drawings to the Pompton Lakes Redevelopment Agency on Thursday night. The project is planned for between R&M Hardware and Tony's Pizza.
The new design means that the building that houses the Cardinal Cafe and other storefronts will not be demolished. Instead, the developer will construct the apartments above the street-level retail space and improve the facade.
"We've taken the original concept [and] we literally cut it in half," said Joe Romano, a principal with Accordia. "We worked out a deal where we're not going to touch the existing retail building. We're going to be building this building in the air rights above it."
The Cardinal Café on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes was once at risk of being displaced because of plans for a redevelopment project. (Photo: Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com)
The apartment and retail building at 266 and 268 Wanaque Ave. that houses Avenue Hair Cutters Barber Shop and Sorry Ma Tattoos will still be demolished as part of the plan.
Borough officials said they were pleased with the compromise that keeps the businesses that want to remain at the location intact. The Cardinal Cafe had faced a costly relocation and some questioned whether the restaurant could even survive a move.
"I like the concept," said Mayor Michael Serra, who regularly attends RDA meetings. "I like the size of it. I like the comparison that we're keeping businesses that want to stay, at the same time getting redevelopment done all around it, on top of it. We get to keep the Cardinal, which I know a lot of people were concerned about, and maybe some of the other retail services there."
Accordia Realty is planning to construct apartment" width="540" height="405" />Accordia Realty is planning to construct apartment units at this location on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes. (Photo: Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com)
The plans call for a mix of 11 one- and two-bedroom units per floor. The lobby entrance will be located in the building where the barber shop and tattoo shop are now.
Two support columns will need to be driven in through the existing retail space, creating a short-term inconvenience, Romano said.
A total of 57 parking spaces are planned and the revised concept eliminates two levels of lower deck parking.
Romano said designing the project was difficult because of the topography of the site and its proximity to the Wanaque River.
"We went through a period where we really started to question in our minds whether we were going to move this thing forward," Romano said. "We're glad that we're at this point on this and we're excited to actually get into the ground with it."
Accordia Realty presented revised drawings on Thursday" width="540" height="405" />Accordia Realty presented revised drawings on Thursday for an apartment and retail project on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes. (Photo: Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com)
Redevelopment Agency Chairman Andy Silverstein said the developer did a great job, and said he hopes construction can begin in the spring. He was also pleased that the new design allows existing businesses to remain.
"I think you did a real creative job in pretty much answering everyone's questions," he said.
Silverstein said the project fits the space, and was pleased with the self-contained parking on site. Parking is an ongoing concern for the RDA as the agency continues to review several new redevelopment projects planned in the borough.
Accordia Realty presented revised drawings Thursday" width="540" height="405" />Accordia Realty presented revised drawings Thursday for an apartment and retail project on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes. (Photo: Jai Agnish/Northjersey.com)
Silverstein and Serra suggested Accordia improve the facade of the nearby hardware store, which was part of the original plan.
Now Accordia will need to return to the RDA to work out its affordable housing obligations and the tax arrangements with the borough. It will then move to the Planning Board, likely for a single hearing, before the company can break ground.
The Accordia project is one of several redevelopment projects being reviewed by the agency. After some delays and several hearings the RDA recently approved a proposal for the transformation of the Salvation Army property into a four-story apartment building.
Another downtown residential-and-retail space idea was presented to the agency in November. The ambitious two-building project and parking deck would bring 460 residential units and 867 parking spaces, with a footprint of 21,250 square feet of dining and retail space rising five stories directly across the street from the Accordia building.
Other smaller downtown projects have also been reviewed by the agency.
Email: Agnish@northjersey.com
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