Bound Brook Transit Village Project Moves Ahead After Massive 7-Alarm Fire

BOUND BROOK, NJ — Bound Brook is part of a new NJ Transit push to advance housing and redevelopment around train stations, with construction expected to begin next year on a mixed-use project at the borough’s station.

This plan comes six years after a massive 7-alarm fire ripped through a new construction apartment building complex called Meridia 2 in Bound Brook on Jan. 21, 2020.

"Six years after the tragic fire that devastated our borough, it's exciting to finally have this project moving forward," said Bound Brook Mayor Dominic Longo. "It will go a long way to solving our parking issue as well as bring additional residents to help with our downtown revitalization."

NJ Transit announced it is moving forward on three transit-oriented development projects in Jersey City, Bound Brook and Morristown.

The agency said the projects, when complete, are projected to deliver more than 1,000 new homes, including hundreds of affordable and workforce homes, while also generating new revenue for NJ Transit and municipal partners.

In Bound Brook, NJ Transit said its development partner, Capodagli Property Company, is expected to begin construction next year on The Meridia Downtown Project at NJ Transit's Bound Brook Station on the Raritan Valley Line.

The project is being pursued through NJ Transit's Unsolicited Request for Development program, which the agency said is used for strategic partnerships on projects it could not otherwise advance independently.

According to NJ Transit, the mixed-use project will include 218 apartments, a common amenity space above 3,600 square feet of ground floor retail space, and a structured parking facility.

The agency said the parking component is intended to support station area infill development and Bound Brook’s central business district.

The Bound Brook project was included in a wider announcement tied to Governor Mikie Sherrill’s Housing Strategy and NJ Transit's LAND Plan.

NJ Transit said those efforts focus on using state-owned or underused property to create housing near transit, jobs, schools and downtowns.

"You can’t make New Jersey more affordable without making housing more affordable. That’s why the Housing Strategy I released in September calls for putting State-owned property to work and building more homes near transit," said Governor Mikie Sherrill. "These projects in Jersey City, Bound Brook, and Morristown advance that commitment, creating more housing choices near jobs and revitalizing our downtowns."

NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said transit-oriented development also supports the agency financially.

"Transit-oriented development is critical to creating walkable, livable, and vibrant communities in New Jersey while at the same time providing a meaningful source of non-farebox revenue to NJ Transit," Kolluri said.

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