The project is on the block of Ohio and New York avenues and Strawberry and Pear streets
TRENTON -- Work will begin soon on turning a former industrial area at the northern edge of the city into a 169-unit rental complex.
The project -- on the block of Ohio and New York avenues and Strawberry and Pear streets -- will be all market-rate housing.
In 2006, 72 for-sale townhomes were initially proposed for the site, but when Chris Vernon of Trenton-based Mercer Management & Development bought the property in 2014, he went back to the drawing board to redesign the project.
The plans were approved by the zoning board earlier this month.
Monique King-Viehland, the city's director of Housing and Economic Development, said the city met with Vernon before he closed on the site to assure him of the city's support with helping move the project forward.
She said increasing the amount of market-rate and mixed-use development has been a central focus of the mayor's economic development strategy.
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"It's the first project of this scale and magnitude in the residential component that's happened in quite a long time in the City of Trenton," she said. "We're very excited."
L&M Design LLC was selected as the project's architect. Laura Staines Giardino, a principal in the firm, said the brick-and-vinyl facade of the apartments are designed to appear like individual townhomes to better blend in with the rest of the neighborhood.
An artist's rendering of the 169-unit market-rate rental complex on Ohio Avenue in Trenton The three townhome-like buildings facing Ohio Avenue will each have three two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath apartments.
Another eight buildings will include two-bedroom, two-bath apartments and one-bedroom loft apartments.
The driveways will face inward to make a more pedestrian-friendly environment, Giardino said.
On the corner of Ohio and Strawberry, there will be a clubhouse that will serve as the anchor for the development. It will have billiards, a TV lounge, cyber cafe, fitness area and leasing center.
King-Viehland said demolition of a small building on the lot is expected to start this fall and Giardino said the start of construction could begin as early as the spring.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.