RED BANK: REDUCED APARTMENT PLAN TO GET AIRING

A rendering of the building proposed for 72 Bridge Avenue from the builder’s plans submitted to the borough.

A builder whose plan for a 32-unit apartment building near Red Bank’s train station was rejected in January by the zoning board returns to borough hall this week seeking approvals for a scaled-down version.

Developer Warren Diamond’s plan for the property at 72 Bridge Avenue now calls for a four-story building with 20 two-bedroom units, parking for 47 vehicles and 2,300 square feet of commercial space, according to the plans filed in March.

(Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Diamond’s company, American Opportunity Zone Fund LLC is scheduled to present its new plans at a meeting of the Red Bank Planning Board Wednesday night, according to the agenda.

In an email in response to questions from redbankgreen, Diamond cited the train station and Red Bank’s status as a “cultural epicenter and gateway to the Jersey Shore” as factors making it an ideal for a development chock full of amenities, including a gym, coffee shop, club room and “plentiful parking for residents and guests with charging stations.”

“We can thank responsible and thoughtful planning by the local boards through the years,” he wrote. ” From my vantage point as a developer, it’s obvious the town is always looking to preserve a better way of life for all the residents of Red Bank. It’s important that affordable and market place housing be made available, as close to public transportation as possible.”

“We are very proud of this project and look forward to its approval,” he added.

Drawings of the 78 Bridge Avenue proposal can viewed here.

In January, the borough zoning board dismissed Diamond’s request for variances to build a 32-unit structure. The building, which was to have fronted on Bridge Avenue and sweep around an existing corner building to Oakland Street, would have replaced four buildings, including two Victorian-style homes and the one-story structure that houses Mi Lupitas restaurant.

But at its only public hearing, in November, the proposal drew comments that it was “way too big” and “pretty ugly,” to boot.

Following the November hearing, Diamond’s company, American Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, completed its acquisition of the five underlying lots on Bridge and Oakland from Mary and Roy Jennings, who operated the Chowda House in the space now held by Mi Lupitas from 2013 to 2019.

The price was $3.5 million, according to a deed filed with Monmouth County last month.

The project is one smaller piece of what could be a large scale transformation coming soon be coming to the train station neighborhood.

The site is kittycorner from the 57-unit Rail project built by Denholtz Properties and opened in 2022.

Denholtz has also assembled numerous properties in the area for a possible large scale redevelopment and, partly as a result, has been named the designated developer by NJ New Jersey Transit for parcels in the areas it is targeting for new project.

In November, the borough council began a long process that could result in those properties being designated as a Transit Village, entitling the builder to possible tax breaks and other incentives.

A public workshop on the train station redevelopment plan is scheduled for July 31.

The hearing for 78 Bridge Avenue is 7 p.m. Wednesday at Borough Hall, 90 Monmouth Street. It can also be viewed on zoom here.

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