By ANDREW CANGIANO
A mix of residential and recreational space has been proposed for the site of the former Ridge Avenue School in Neptune.
A proposed plan by non-profit developers CityWorks and Interfaith Neighbors, calls for 75 residential units, 15 of which would be affordable housing, and 22,000 sq. feet of park space.
While the former site of the Ridge Avenue School has been declared a redevelopment zone, the township has not yet declared a developer. That announcement could come at the next township committee meeting on Tues. Dec. 26.
The bid made by CityWorks and Interfaith Neighbors is the only one the township has received for the project, said Mayor Thomas Catley.
Neptunes mayor said he is looking forward to Ridge Avenue being the third redevelopment zone in the townships midtown section. The other two areas are the site of the former Whitesville School, which has been turned into class-A office space, and West Lake Avenue, where CityWorks is the redeveloper for the mixed use residential and commercial project.
Im very excited that this administration could produce a total of three redevelopment areas for midtown, Catley said.
A presentation of the proposed redevelopment plan was given Monday at a public meeting at the township municipal complex by representatives of CityWorks and Interfaith Neighbors.
Most of the residents who attended the meeting seemed to be in approval of the proposed plan.
Nate Cave, a Myrtle Avenue resident, said the proposed project maintans the neighborhoods feel and offers the opportunity for home ownership.
I think its a very nice presentation, he said about the proposal. I think theres an opportunity for people to own their own homes.
Marilyn Thomas, Heck Avenue, said she is excited by the possibility of redevelopment.
We need some improvements in the midtown area, she said.
Ermon K. Jones, Stanford Drive resident and chair of townships housing authority, said the most important part of the proposal is the allotment for affordable housing, which is something he said is needed in the township.
I think its very good, he said. I hope that the vision and the goals that they made in their presentation are successful.
Resident Jerry Meyer said he believes the project could increase the values of homes in the neighborhood.
Its going to be a nice upgrade in that area, he said. Its going to increase the value of everybodys home in that area.
Tom Clark, president of CityWorks, said the cost of buying the properties on the 4.5-acre site from the township will be $2.6 million.
He said the propsal includes 48 condominium units, 20 single family detached homes, and seven rental units that meet Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) regulations.
Clark said CityWorks approached Asbury Park based Interfaith Neighbors, which has built housing units in Neptune and Asbury Park, to join their proposal in redeveloping the site.
Interfaith Neighbors would be responsible for building the 15 affordable units included in the project, eight of which would be single family detached homes and seven being rental units, said Paul McEvily, Assistant Executive Director of Interfaith Neighbors.
McEvily said the price of the affordable units would be based on the costs of how much it will take to build each unit -including land, labor, materials, fees/permits – and the availability of government subsidies.
He said that unlike a for profit developer, Interfaith Neighbors is not interested in making money from building, but rather covering our costs.
In addition to the 15 units which qualify as affordable, another 10 units will have some type of restriction related to financing – such as household income and resale restrictions, McEvily said.
Based on projections, he said the eight affordable units could go for a price of $135,000 for a 2-3 bedroom, 11-1400 sq. foot condominium. He stressed that this was only a projection, but added that the affordable units will sell for below market value if the developers receive government subsidies.
The township wants to see this site developed, he said, adding that specific requirements have been laid out to ensure Ridge Avenue is developed in the appropriate manner.
McEvily said that if there are more families looking to buy affordable units than there are available, priority could be determined by a lottery system.
Chris Davis, a representative of Nelessen Assoc., said changes in land use would include the extension of Embury Avenue, with a median placed in the center. The amount of open space in the proposal would include 7,000 sq. ft. more than originally planned, with the recreational space broken up into several parcels rather than at one location.
Davis said parking for residential units could be on the first floor, with three floors of living space above. Clark said there would be no street parking, but that parking space could be put behind the housing units. He said live/work units are also a possibility.
Clark said if the project is approved, groundbreaking could take place in 12-18 months.
More information about redevelopment in midtown is available at the MURC Information Center at 1716 West Lake Ave. The phone number for the information center is 732-775-1110.
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