Riverbend apartment complex in New Providence begins construction, only to wait for DEP clearance

Construction on the new Riverbend apartment complex in New Providence, nearly 25 years after it was first proposed, has begun on its lot near the corner of South Street and Marion Avenue.

However, Planning Board Secretary Margaret Koontz said Tuesday, Oct. 16 that building must be halted until the state DEP issues permits to the borough. The permits are in regard to sewage and sanitation maintenance.

There is no current timeframe for those permits, Koontz said, though demolition has begun at the site.

When the Planning Board initially approved the complex construction in May, board members discussed potential issues related to the maintenance of the lot prior to construction beginning and management of soil erosion, according to The Alternative Press.

The complex, built by JAM Realty Corp., will feature 22 units in four buildings, with four of those units designated for affordable housing.

The lot wraps around a two-home apartment on Marion Avenue. A large fence and a row of trees will be constructed around that building to shield those residents from lights and noise.

There will be two entrance to the complex on Marion Avenue to either side of the existing home, with no South Street access.

Development of the area was first proposed in 1989 but moved slowly with bid auctions in 1995 and 2003. The agreement between the borough and the land owner in 1989 allotted several units for affordable housing and those terms were still in place when the Riverbend plans were finalized nearly two decades later.

Continue reading here:
Riverbend apartment complex in New Providence begins construction, only to wait for DEP clearance