Recent news and notes on transit-oriented development trends here in New Jersey, in the nation, and beyond.
NEW JERSEY TOD NEWS
New Renderings for 500,000 Square Foot Office Project “Ironside Newark”
By Andrew Nelson, New York YIMBY, March 15, 2018
Located two blocks from Newark Penn Station, “Ironside Newark” is the first speculative office building in the city since the late 1980s. Edison Properties will invest $80 million for the adaptive reuse of a former freight warehouse into modern office space with retail.
KRE Group’s 485 Marin Blvd in Jersey City Nears Finish Line; Rentals Set for Spring Launch
By CityRealty Staff, CityRealty, March 15, 2018
Located directly to the west of Newport Centre mall and a five-minute walk from the Newport PATH station, KRE’s new building at 485 Marin Boulevard extends Jersey City redevelopment beyond the waterfront.
Murphy, Oliver and Montclair Leaders Discuss $3M Revival of Main Street NJ and Neighborhood Preservation Programs
By Eddie Nicholas & Natalie Heard Hackett, TAP into Montclair, April 13, 2018
Governor Phil Murphy visited Montclair Thursday to roll-out plans to restore funding for two of the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) neighborhood improvement programs: Main Street New Jersey (MSNJ) and the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP).
Asbury Park Mixed-Used Project Receives More Than $1 Million in AHP Funds
By Elana Knopp, NJBIZ, April 17, 2018
The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York recently awarded more than $1 million in Affordable Housing Program Funds to The Renaissance, a mixed-income, mixed-use affordable housing community being developed in Asbury Park. Developed by Marlton-based nonprofit Better Tomorrows in partnership with The Michaels Organization and the City of Asbury Park, the project is considered a critical step in the revitalization of the City’s Springwood Avenue corridor.
Office Conversions Reduce Inventory, Pull Northern, Central NJ Vacancy Lower
By Steve Lubetkin, GlobeSt.com, April 24, 2018
Vacancy rates in the Northern and Central New Jersey office market have dropped due to the removal of office space, which is being razed or converted to other uses.
SJP, Aetna Realty Announce 2M sq.ft. Mixed-Use project Next to Newark’s Broad Street Station
By Eric Strauss, ROI-NJ, April 30, 2018
SJP Properties and Aetna Realty announced their new project on the former Westinghouse property adjacent to Broad Street Station. The development is slated to include office, retail, hotel, and residential uses on 3.7 acres.
REGIONAL, NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL TOD NEWS
Atlanta Nonprofit Signs Ground Lease for New Facility at Edgewood/ Candler Park TOD
By Eric Mandel, Atlanta Business Chronicle, March 2, 2018
Atlanta nonprofit Moving in the Spirit recently signed a 99-year ground lease with MARTA and developer Columbia Ventures to build its new facility at the Edgewood/Candler Park TOD.
California Gears Up for a Battle over Single-Family Zoning near Transit
By Katy Murphy, East Bay Times, March 3, 2018
Senate Bill 827 has the potential to reshape California neighborhoods by overriding single-family zoning and superseding limits on new housing near public transportation. The measure would allow housing developments of four to eight stories within a half mile radius of every BART station, Caltrain stop or other rail hub, and a quarter mile from bus stops with frequent service.
Bellevue Approves $1.8 Million to Affordable Housing, Shelter Projects
By Raechel Dawson, Bellevue Reporter, March 7, 2018
Funds will support two new projects: Esterra Park with 50 income-restricted units in Redmond near the Overlake Transit Center and Trailhead Apartments with 155 income-restricted units in central Issaquah, near the Issaquah Transit Center. King County Housing Authority and Spectrum Development Solutions also have plans for 200 market rate units, a new childcare center, an adult family home, a community space and commercial space to accompany the Trailhead Apartment project.
Portland’s ‘Granny Flats’ Get an Affordable Boost
By Laura Bliss, CityLab, March 12, 2018
A new startup, Dweller, pays the upfront cost of a backyard dwelling in exchange for some of the rent it generates. Third-party property managers rent out the unit to long-term tenants, and Dweller splits the revenues 30-70 with the homeowner, almost as if the company is leasing the land.
New Carrollton Developments Paint Picture of Revitalization and Growth
By Virginia Atterberry, Carrollton Leader, March 15, 2018
Plans advance for the Trinity Mills Transit Center District and the Thomas Place Development in Carrollton City, Texas.
Small Apartments in Single-Family Neighborhoods
By Robert Steuteville, Public Square, March 15, 2018
To relieve a worsening shortage of housing, Minneapolis planners have suggested allowing the construction of four-unit apartment buildings in nearly all neighborhoods.
Development without Gentrification? Oakland’s Fruitvale is the Model, Report Says
By Erin Baldassari, The Mercury News, March 29, 2018
According to a recent study by the UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, the Fruitvale Station TOD project, which began in 2004, has brought redevelopment without displacement.
More Poorer Residents Are Driving Cars, Presenting New Issues for Transit Agencies
By Daniel C. Vock, Governing, April 9, 2018
More lower-income households have access to cars now than they did before the Great Recession. That’s good news for their access to jobs, but it may cause cities to rethink their assumptions about transportation.
In MARTA’s Quest to Erase Half-Empty Parking Lots, Apartment Move-Ins Have Begun
By Josh Green, Curbed Atlanta, April 13, 2018
New projects reflect Atlanta’s MARTA goal to convert underutilized parking into transit-oriented development. Phase One of the Spoke project brings 200 apartments to the Edgewood-Candler Park Station, with access to the Blue and Green Lines.
Is This the Future of Seattle Transit? A Look at Vancouver, B.C. — a City that Figured It Out Years Ago
By David Gutman, Seattle Times, April 19, 2018
With three fully-built light-rail lines and an interconnected bus network, Vancouver’s transportation system is like Seattle’s, just a couple of decades in the future. But the Canadian city differs in its rock-solid commitment to building housing right on top of transit.
SEPTA is Driving Force Behind Some Economic Bursts in Montgomery County
By Oscar Gamble, The Times Herald, April 20, 2018
A recently completed economic impact study reflects the positive financial influence and reciprocal benefits of investment in public transit, and how SEPTA plans to enhance its services to fit the needs of tomorrow.
MTS Parking Lots Could Be Key to San Diego Housing Crisis
By Andrew Bowen, KPBS.org, April 25, 2018
According to a new report released by the nonprofit Circulate San Diego, the 9.4-acre parking lot surrounding the Grantville trolley station is an example of underutilized public land that could be redeveloped to address the city’s housing crisis.