With an eye to the past and one foot in the future, Sterling Properties and Greenwood Development have received the green light on The Vestry, a boutique rental community of 46 units in downtown Montclair.

Located at 147 Bloomfield Avenue, the former site of the Mount Carmel Holy Church, the five-story apartment will be just a five-minute walk from the Bay Street NJ Transit station, and also convenient to Route 3, Route 46, and the Garden State Parkway.

The Vestry will be located at the heart of downtown Montclair’s eastern gateway. It’s being designed to fit right in to this walkable neighborhood, which includes Church Street and Lackawanna Plaza, with a bold red brick and glass exterior. Inside you’ll find a mix of studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences, some of which will boast large outdoor balconies.

“Its sleek and modern exterior mixes old and new architecture to blend seamlessly with the area’s century-old homes and Bloomfield Avenue’s distinctive residential and retail streetscape,” said David Genova, principal of Greenwood Development.

“It will also be constructed using sustainable building techniques and materials to ensure it’s developed in an environmentally responsible fashion,” he added. In fact, the community is being constructed according to the guidelines necessary to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

Amenities available to residents will include bike share, Zipcar, an indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge, and covered parking. At ground level, 1,600 sq. ft. of retail space will further take advantage of this new-school urban living space.

The Vestry “combines a chic living environment with an ideal walkable lifestyle and easy access to great public transportation,” said Nick Hollenback, Sterling Properties’ director of sales and marketing.

Construction on The Vestry is expected to begin early this summer.