New projects in the works for New Brunswick

NEW BRUNSWICK - Several major projects are in the works in the city.

Construction has begun on a new apartment complex on Route 1 South, adjacent to the AMC Loews New Brunswick 18 movie theater.

Site plans, which were approved by the city Planning Board several years ago, call for an apartment complex, restaurant and fast-food restaurant, said Glenn Patterson, the city's director of Planning, Community and Economic Development.

The Edge at Raritan Heights will consist of 254 multifamily units.

"The luxury units will feature single and double bedrooms," said Joe Morris, senior vice president for commercial leasing at Edgewood Properties, a real estate development and property management company.

Comparable projects are The Edge at Main on Main Street in Somerville, and the Edge at Matawan, Morris said.

"It will be somewhat similar to that flair and feel," said Morris.

Construction also has begun on the future home of Starbucks, also at that site.

"Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers, and we are happy to confirm that we will be opening a new 2,000 sq. ft. drive-thru location in New Brunswick in summer 2018," according to a statement from a Starbucks spokesperson.

The facility that formerly housed Famous Dave's will be repurposed for another restaurant, Morris said.

"When all is said and done, it will be a landmark premiere property," Morris said. "Other leasing details will be announced in the future that we believe will be impressive. That project, as well as many things going on in and around New Brunswick area is going through an incredible Renaissance. There is a lot of opportunity there. It's a great piece of property. With that mixed use feature, it is going to be something very appealing to the market."

The planning board also approved construction of a four-story hotel at 19 Route 18 North, site of the former Bennigan's.

Highview Hospitality NB LLC, based in Red Bank, was approved to build 109 suites at the 1.76 acre site.

Home2Suites by Hilton is expected to open in May 2020, according to a Hilton spokesperson.

The hotel is expected to include a lobby, indoor pool, patio, breakfast area, fitness room, outdoor lounge space and 109 parking spaces, according to a legal notice.

Another project in the works in the downtown area of the city is the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC).

New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Development Corporation (Devco) broke ground in October on the NBPAC project, a $172 million redevelopment initiative that will transform New Brunswick’s Downtown Cultural Arts District.

The Center is a public-private partnership among Devco, the city, Rutgers University, Middlesex County, the state Economic Development Authority, the New Brunswick Cultural Center, Pennrose Properties and the New Brunswick Parking Authority, along with 11 other groups.

The NBPAC initiative, a 450,000-square-foot project on the site of the former George Street Playhouse and Crossroads Theater on Livingston Avenue, will continue to distinguish New Brunswick as a premier center for the performing arts, Mayor Jim Cahill said at the project's groundbreaking ceremony.

The new theater complex will include two state-of-the-art, proscenium-style theaters, designed to accommodate musical theater, dance, opera and dramatic theater. The Lyric Theatre, which will seat 462 patrons, will feature an 86-foot stage, a 75-foot fly tower and a trap system, with an orchestra pit that will be able to accommodate 60 to 70 musicians.

The playhouse, designed primarily for theatrical performances and smaller dancer performances, will have 252 seats and will feature a 60-foot stage and contemporary grid system for lighting and sound and will provide the NBPAC with additional flexibility for lecture, community and musical events to be accommodated.

The main building also will contain three rehearsal studios that will replicate the stage spaces of the two theaters inside the complex, helping maximize the use of the theater venues by providing access to rehearsal time off the main and second stages. Each studio will be designed to support dance, drama, music rehearsals, general classes, workshops and small public performances.

About 30,000 feet of office space will be on two floors above the theater complex and will be owned by the county to be used by arts organizations and potential private-sector groups.

A 207-unit residential rental apartment tower will rise above the theater complex, featuring market-rate and affordable luxury apartment units, equipped with state-of-the-art appliances and finishes, 10-foot ceilings and open floor plans. It will be owned and operated by Pennrose Properties.

READ: $172M New Brunswick Performing Arts Center breaks ground

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The residential tower also will provide residents with access to a wide range of amenities, including an outdoor roof deck, a demonstration kitchen, work space and a fitness center.

The arts center development team anticipates partnering with The Actors Fund to market the new luxury units to graphic artists, actors, musicians, dancers and theater support personnel. A 344-space structured parking garage also will be developed on a former surface parking lot.

Staff Writer Susan Loyer: 732-565-7243; sloyer@gannettnj.com