SEE THE PLANS FOR RED BANK TRAIN STATION PROJECT

**A rendering (divided into two parts) of the western side of The Rail North. (Click to enlarge.)**

By BRIAN DONOHUE

A five-story, 175-unit “Texas donut” apartment building, with retail on the ground floor and a partially hidden parking garage at its core.

A NJ Transit bus stop moved from its longtime location on Monmouth Street to West Street.

A new winding street dubbed a “woonerf” running between Chestnut Street and Monmouth Street.

A grassy lawn and pedestrian plaza around the historic Red Bank Train Station. And a project designed by an architect who has written in praise of what architectural critics call “dumb boxes” (and others more graciously call boxy buildings) that, at least on paper, looks just like one no matter what you call it.

They’re among the gazillion details big and small contained in the plans and blueprints the Red Bank Planning Board will begin considering Wednesday as a developer seeks approvals for the first phase of the Red Bank train station redevelopment.

The public hearing is scheduled for 7 pm Wednesday at Borough Hall. redbankgreen has the plans in hand. Keep scrolling for the highlights and links to download them yourself.

oakland street plaza bridge train station redevelopment plan six stories — NOPE: The glass walkway between buildings in the original proposal was replaced by a solid wall of apartments after the Red Bank Planning Board reduced the height of the proposed Rail North project from six stories to five, thus reducing the total number of apartments. Instead, the view will more closely resemble the rendering at the top of this story.

The plans call for 175 apartments and 331 parking spaces in the project dubbed The Rail North.

It marks the first phase of a redevelopment project that will eventually cover more than 20 acres of NJ Transit parking lots, railyards and other properties on both sides of Chestnut Street, where the designated developer Denholtz has already built the 57-unit The Rail.

‘DUMB BOXES’ AND ‘TEXAS DONUTS’: TRAIN STATION PROJECT BRINGS DESIGN DEBATE TO RED BANK

The plans were filed by Denholtz with the Borough office of Planning and Zoning in April. A Planning Board Agenda announcing the public hearing was released Monday.

Key features/ modifications from earlier concepts include:

A see-through glass walkway that would have provided a visual break between buildings where the building bridges over Oakland Street was revised to become what appears to be a solid wall of apartments after the planning board reduced the maximum height of buildings from six to five stories during the public hearing process.
A “woonerf” defined as a low-speed limit pedestrian-friendly street connecting Monmouth Street and Chestnut streets.
A bus shelter, along with the entrance to the parking garage on West Street, along with a mural on the side of the parking garage.
For the 140 market rate units, a mix of 24 studio apartments; 77 one bedrooms; and 39 two-bedrooms.
For the 35 affordable units, a mix of seven one bedrooms; 21 two bedrooms and seven three-bedrooms.

To download the plans, click these links:

20393-2026-04-07_The Rail at Red Bank North – Architectural Set

20394-2026-04-10 Traffic Impact Study

20399-The Rail at Red Bank North – Site Plans 040626S1

Wednesday’s Planning Board is scheduled for 7 pm at Borough Hall, 90 Monmouth Street. It can also be viewed via Zoom at this link.

Be forewarned, however: unlike the Borough Council, which allows the public to speak or ask questions remotely, the Planning Board generally does not allow public comment for anyone not physically present.

redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.