Six years after the project was announced, a former brownfield site in Harrison will be home to a residential complex with a pocket park and thousands of square feet of retail space.

Construction on the first phase of the Hub at Harrison Station, a 10.5-acre redevelopment adjacent to the Harrison PATH station on Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard, has begun.

The project calls for 640 rental units spaced over five buildings -- four five-story wood frame buildings and one 11-story concrete tower.

The project, developed by Heller Urban Renewal LLC and designed by NK Architects, also calls for 17,000 square feet of retail space and a park for residents in the center of the development.

The first two buildings are scheduled for occupancy in fall of 2018.

The project was first announced in 2011, with the demolition of a vacant warehouse on the property. The property then had to undergo extensive remediation for contaminants.

The site was previously owned by Hartz Mountain and was home to the Hyatt Roller Bearing Company. When the project was announced, it was also said that construction would begin in 2013.