PERTH AMBOY – If the city decides to move forward with plans to build 602 apartments in five buildings near the waterfront, at least one resident hopes the project will also include plans to transform the former police station into a community center.
Last month, the City Council postponed a vote on the Kushner Companies’ $200 million plan after raising concerns about the impact on traffic and schools and whether the developer, which has faced lawsuits over previous projects, would hire unionized workers.
But resident Stephanie Brisita, a member of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, also wants the council to consider rehabilitating and reusing the former Perth Amboy police headquarters and First Aid building at the corner of High and Fayette streets as a community center rather than demolishing the buildings. She hopes residents will share their thoughts on the project at the council’s Aug. 14 meeting.
Brisita acknowledges that the former early 20th-century police station has been vacant and neglected since the police moved to a new building on New Brunswick Avenue in the late 2000s.
A city official pointed out that the vacant buildings have environmental problems. The city wants to transfer the property to the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency to be included in the redevelopment agreement.
“I still believe it can be rehabilitated because there are buildings that were in far worse condition and have been rehabilitated,” Brisita said.
According to Brisita, the former police headquarters was built in 1911 as the technical headquarters of the chemical company Roessler & Hasslacher, which was then the largest factory in the city and one of the largest chemical producers in the world.
She said the building was purchased by the city in 1935 to be converted into a police headquarters. In 1936, some work was done in conjunction with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), including a pistol range.
With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching in two years, the city must focus on its cultural heritage, she said.
“That’s why even a small part of the police station can serve as a welcome center to orient and provide information to visitors, which will help boost visitor traffic and cultural tourism in our city. As a historic resource, the police station is a point of interest in the context of our industrial heritage, as it is one of the few remaining buildings associated with that industrial past. And its location on High Street makes it a great starting point for a historic trolley tour as well as a historic walking tour,” she said.
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Brisita added that High Street is home to historic homes and is close to attractions, some of which are listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places, and is within walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants.
The Kushner Companies project calls for the construction of 602 residential units and 900 parking spaces in three phases, creating approximately 600 temporary jobs in the construction industry.
Plans call for 317 market-rate rental apartments in Buildings 2 and 3 and a 5,000-square-foot commercial building in the first phase. The second phase includes 77 market-rate residential rental apartments in Building 1, and the third phase calls for 208 market-rate rental apartments in Buildings 4 and 5.
The project also includes more than $12.5 million in infrastructure improvements, including construction of a seawall and boardwalk, street design and utility improvements at no cost to the city, as well as $2 million in pollution remediation costs.
The project also includes a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement between the developer and the city.
The property generates approximately $190,000 in property taxes annually, giving the city a net return of approximately $113,234. Under the PILOT agreement, the developer would pay the city approximately $66 million over the term of the tax exemption.
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If approved, this would not be Kushner’s first development project in the city.
Kushner also owns two condominium buildings, Bayview and Admiral, which are part of the planned Landings at Harborside residential complex.
In 2017, a confidential settlement was reached between Kushner Companies and 32 condominium owners at the $600 million Landings at Harborside community after residents filed a consumer fraud lawsuit alleging construction issues such as water seepage and inadequate parking. Kushner Companies halted all construction at Landings.
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Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, covering crime, court cases and other chaos. For unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
