Proposed Fair Lawn Village Development
Preliminary concept drawings for the development of the former site of Kodak by Garden Homes Development were provided to the Borough Council on December 5, 2006, and are available for viewing below. Some background on the firm, as drawn from a trade journal, follows.
"Based in Short Hills, N. J., Garden Commercial Properties (a subsidiary of Garden Homes) is a privately-held development company with a tradition of over 50 years of varied commercial and residential development experience. Garden Commercial owns and manages more than 25 million square feet of retail and commercial space located throughout New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, California and Florida. The company ranks among the top 20 in “retail property owners and mangers” in the United States. New commercial development exceeds one million square feet annually. For more information, visit www.gardencommercial.com." The firm developed and manages the Fair Lawn Commons (Route 208 Northbound, and adjacent to the Kodak site).
Representatives for the firm noted in presentations before the council and before the trustees of the Economic Development Corporation the following project highlights.
The developer has extensive real estate holdings – home sites, apartments, retail and office complexes throughout the tri-state area – including the Fair Lawn Commons in Fair Lawn. The site approximates 10 acres and the developer proposes a mixed use with:
- a retail component on the ground floor and residential units above a nostalgic streetscape scene with fountains
and direct access from Route 208;
- a 30,000 to 40,000 square foot retail space to accommodate a smaller supermarket;
- age restricted and affordable housing;
- a mix of owner and rental units – Brownstone Duplex model
- the ability to connect internally to Fair Lawn Commons – since the developer already owns that site – to take
traffic off the Route 208 overpass and Fair Lawn Avenue
- surface parking with no decks at present
Environmental issues will be addressed by the owner, Kodak, with the soil already remediated; and
groundwater contamination is to be addressed for acceptance by the NJDEP for residential development on the site. The acquisition is subject to an action letter regarding the ground water contamination. The density was noted to be between 13 and 15 units per acre, totaling about 150 residential units (1- and 2-bedroom units), as compared to a 17.65 per acre density at Fair Lawn Commons.
The complex would offer a first story retail with a maximum of 3 additional stories of residential space. The maximum building height would approximate 40-45 feet.
The developer for the site would be an active participant for COAH in both Round 2 and 3 of the obligations, providing approximately a 20% factor and/or financial obligation for the Borough. The acquisition is currently in a 60-day ‘due diligence’ window, and the Wilf organization will make a decision without prior approvals. The retail component was thought not to be in conflict with, but rather will supplement, local retail stores.
This information is presented by the EDC as a community service. Further updates will be posted as they become available.
