120-Unit Hotel Conversion Will Satisfy Bridgewater's Affordable Housing Obligation

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater has found a solution to its court-mandated affordable housing obligation by allowing the Hyatt House to be converted into a multi-family housing development.

After the township came to a new agreement with Advance Realty over the Center of Excellence project at the former Sanofi-Aventis property on Route 202/206, Bridgewater still had to find a new location for 40 affordable housing units. Read More: Defeated: Largest Development In Bridgewater's History Since Mall

On Monday night, the township council introduced an ordinance to create a multi-family residential zone at the hotel's location at 530 Route 22 in Bridgewater Township. (See the ordinance below)

The plan would convert the existing 128-unit hotel into a 120-unit apartment building that includes 40 affordable housing units. This would equate to 31.25 percent of the units being set aside for affordable housing. Councilman Timothy Ring said usually the number set aside is around 10 percent.

In order to incentivize this plan with the owners of the Hyatt House, Bridgewater Council also passed a resolution to provide a total of $590,000 to GCP Bridgewater LP which will come entirely from the Affordable Housing Trust fund.

In order for GCP Bridgewater to receive the funding they would have to finish the affordable housing units within two years. The payment would be split paid out once half the units are built and when the remaining units are built.

"They get no money if the units are not built," said Ring.

GCP Bridgewater had previously come before the Board of Adjustment in 2021 looking to convert the hotel to apartments. This served as an opportunity to shift the affordable housing obligation from the Center of Excellence to the Hyatt House.

"Instead of building 400 new units to get 40 COAH units, we are converting 120 to get 40 units," said Ring. "120 with our 40 is a lot better than 400 with our 40 when it comes to our school system and other things like that. There is a lot less impact on our community."

The conversion of the property would not require any new development.

"The outside of the existing structure, the courtyard with the swimming pool, and all other amenities remain intact. It will be an internal renovation," said Ring.

This plan will also increase the value of the property.

"If I am not mistaken it triples the taxable income to the township," said Council President Allen Kurdyla.

The ordinance will now go back to the Planning Board for approval and then come back to the council for a second and final reading where the public will have a chance to comment on it.

CREATE THE RMDU-26 MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONE by Alexis Tarrazi on Scribd

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