‘Community Anchor’ Mixed-Use Building Wins Smart Growth Award

Kushner Real Estate Group and Ironstate Development Company's new development aims to "enhance the community lifestyle" for residents.

18 Park - Front aBy Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

Jersey City, N.J.—Kushner Real Estate Group and Ironstate Development Company have received a 2015 “Smart Growth” award from New Jersey Future for developing 18 Park, a 422-unit, mixed-use development rental building, located in Jersey City’s Harbor North neighborhood.

“As an organization we have made a commitment to developing projects that push the envelope of design and enhance their local environments,” Jeremy Kaplan, The KRE Group’s chief operating officer, told MHN. “We feel this recognition affirms that our commitments are aligned in the right direction. We’re proud to be associated with the number of other projects that are revitalizing New Jersey’s communities and improving the quality of life for residents.”

The building was chosen as a recipient for the award because it was designed to be the “community anchor” of an 80-acre redevelopment area in Jersey City’s Liberty Harbor North neighborhood.

18 Park is unique in that in addition to the residential and retail components it contains a 35,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility for the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County. The Great Futures Charter High School for Health Sciences also calls 18 Park home, as does a teen technology center that includes music recording and graphic arts equipment. The building also includes street level retail that contributes to the vibrancy and pedestrian-friendly character of the neighborhood.

Residents of 18 Park enjoy a full suite of private lifestyle amenities, including a 24-hour doorman, contemporary lobby with a 25-foot wooden wall fabricated by John Houshmand, a full-service fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, a Wi-Fi lounge, landscaped outdoor deck, children’s playroom, dog run, bike room and an enclosed parking garage.

“The design of 18 Park lends itself to resident enjoyment, community usage and pedestrian activity, all of which contribute greatly to neighborhood vitality, which is something we aim to enhance with each new project we bring to a neighborhood,” Kaplan said. “We have also made considerable programming efforts to enhance the community lifestyle of our residents. Throughout the month we host exclusive social events both on our property and at various businesses in the neighborhood for our residents.”

The property is ideally situated near a wide variety of transit options, as both the Grove Street and Exchange Place PATH stations are within walking distance, as is the NY Waterway ferry terminal at Paulus Hook. Additionally, the Hudson Bergen Light Rail’s Marin Boulevard station is just steps from the building.

“18 Park’s enviable location near an ever-growing array of shops, restaurants, nightlife and numerous mass-transit options makes it the ideal setting for renters who want to enjoy the best of everything that downtown Jersey City has to offer,” Kaplan said. “The extremely convenient commute to Manhattan, combined with the fact that residents can enjoy Manhattan levels of luxury at rental prices far more affordable than what that market offers, makes 18 Park an attractive option.”