284-Unit Apartment Building With Retail Proposed In Somerville's East End

SOMERVILLE, NJ — A 284-unit apartment complex with ground-floor retail and a large parking garage is being proposed to transform the East End of Somerville.

"I think we can't lose this opportunity," said Somerville Planning Board Chairman Bernard Navatto.

Attorney Michael P. O'Grodnick, who is representing Gateway East Somerville, LLC, presented the concept review before the Somerville Planning Board at the July 24 meeting.

"The goal is to share this with the Council and public to gain valuable feedback for the shared vision of a significant redevelopment on the east end of Somerville," said O'Grodnick.

The project is proposing combining seven separate properties along East Main Street and Veterans Memorial Drive East totaling 166,043 square feet.

The concept plan proposes getting rid of Meadow Street, demolition of all existing six structures and a consolidation by merger of all the lots into one lot, said O'Grodnick.

In total, the concept plan proposes more than 15,000 square feet of retail and restaurant use extending Main Street down to the East End and the construction of 284 residential units along with 590 parking stalls.

There would also be a swimming pool, terrace, amenities and recreational rooms in the apartment building.

A total of 129 parking spaces will be allocated for retail and 438 parking spaces for the residential component - "which is at a ratio of at or higher than any other projects in the borough," said O'Grodnick.

"This concept plan, and I want to emphasize, is at least five years of work getting to this point. It's been very challenging. There is a lot of interest in Somerville but it is difficult to compile the land area necessary to put together this application," said O'Grodnick.

The development project was initially started in 1989 but was derailed due to environmental cleanup issues from the historic borough landfill.

The properties in question were vacant for several years before an ice cream store came in, and the project was revived in 2019 when the old Pizza Hut and the adjacent land were purchased.

The remaining parcels were assembled and work on developing a site plan began. However, getting a flood hazard permit took longer than expected, and ultimately, the decision was made to remove all six buildings in the development area to ensure they would be above the flood hazard area.

The project aims to be the "gateway to Main Street," said the applicant engineer Craig Styles.

The applicant will remove all buildings on the property and consolidate all of the properties to make a single parcel. Then work with the DEP to clean up or cap the landfill with a 12-inch clay layer.

After the presentation, Navatto gave his own favorable remarks to the proposed project.

"There are a few people in this room who have been around here for as long as I have — but not too many — and as long as I have been around we've tried to make the Veterans Memorial Drive and East End area better," said Navatto.

"And when I was a kid it used to be Franklin street and I wouldn’t go down there. I wouldn't go there. It was a dangerous place," continued Navatto. We've made a lot of progress and I think this is an opportunity to finish it off. This is an opportunity to make it what we wanted it to be 50 years ago. And I can speak to it because I have been around longer than that and I think we need to take this opportunity."

This concept plan in the first step toward the redevelopment of the East End. The applicant must still submit a site plan application with any necessary variances to the Planning Board for approval.

The project was already approved by the DEP for their flood hazard permit in November 2023.

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