FORT LEE, N.J. | The Modern | 2 @ 498 FT | 47 FLOORS

[NYguy]

This has been kicking around for a while, never got around to a thread for it...







The other half of the development

http://www.tuckerdevelopment.com/



http://www.northjersey.com/news/Two_....html?page=all

Two 47-story residential towers proposed in Fort Lee


February 8, 2012
BY LINH TAT

Two 47-story skyscrapers draped in glass would serve as a gateway to the Gold Coast and help to transform land in Fort Lee that has lain fallow for decades into some of the most prime pieces of property in New Jersey, developers and borough officials say.

The twin luxury residential towers, rising 498 feet and overlooking the George Washington Bridge, are part of a proposed 7-acre mixed-use project, dubbed The Center at Fort Lee, that would include a park, a restaurant, a snack kiosk, a museum and a three-screen movie theater featuring some independent films.

Phase 1 — to be built on the east side — is now before the Planning Board for final site plan approval. The borough already gave an informal nod to the project when it agreed to let Fort Lee Redevelopment Associates LLC and the Tucker Development & Acquisition Fund create a complex on the vacant parcel. Phase 2 of the plan by Tucker Development — proposed for the west side — is expected to be reviewed at a later date.

Each tower would contain a fitness center, lounge, game room, spa and other amenities. The units would feature a sleek glass curtain wall for floor-to-ceiling panoramic views.

Although the Fort Lee towers would not be the tallest buildings along the Gold Coast, Demetrakis said that at 47 stories, they would be the tallest structures in Bergen County. Despite that height, the proposed towers measure just 67 feet wide, so no view corridors would be blocked, he said. The tallest existing development in Fort Lee is The Palisades, a 40-story condominium complex on Old Palisades Road, according to borough staff.

http://fortlee.patch.com/articles/re...pproves-towers

Board Approves 47-Story Towers On Long-Vacant Lot
The Fort Lee Planning Board unanimously approved FLRA’s site plan for Redevelopment Area 5 East parcel, but not everyone was sold.




By Erik Wander
March 27, 2012

. The plan, which the board approved unanimously, includes two 47-story towers with 902 luxury residential units, a 1.7-acre public park, a restaurant and a small movie theater, among other amenities.

“These buildings are going to be iconic in nature; they’re going to be a statement made that will be very beneficial to the community,” said James Demetrakis, the attorney representing FLRA, of the plan’s primary feature, the two roughly 500-foot towers.

http://newyork.construction.com/yb/n...y_id=178234233

Ground Broken on Mixed-Use Tower Project in Fort Lee, N.J.

10/18/2012
By Linh Tat, The Record

A project hailed by its supporters as an "iconic gateway" into Bergen County and one that will redefine New Jersey's skyline broke ground Wednesday, shepherding in a new chapter in the history of a property that has lain dormant for more than 40 years, marred by tales of poor planning and corruption.

Fort Lee Redevelopment Associates LLC -- the developer for one-half of the borough's largest redevelopment effort to date -- took a historic step toward building Bergen County's tallest structures: two 47-story glass-encased luxury residential towers that will soar to 498 feet. The approximately half-million-dollar project will also include a restaurant, 1.75-acre public park, three-screen movie theater, museum and snack kiosk.

"I feel like we've just reached the summit of Mount Everest after a long, hard climb," said Allen Goldman, president of SJP Properties, the managing partner of Fort Lee Redevelopment Associates. He predicted the project, once called The Center at Fort Lee but now renamed The Modern, "will forever change the borough of Fort Lee and the skyline of New Jersey."

The Modern makes up the eastern half of a 16-acre downtown mixed-use project south of the George Washington Bridge. The redevelopment area is bounded by Bruce Reynolds Boulevard, Central Road, Main Street and Lemoine Avenue. The western half, called Hudson Lights, will be developed by Illinois-based Tucker Development Corp., and will feature approximately 175,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, 477 residential units and a 175-room hotel.

[Duck From NY]

I think Fort Lee projects should show up in the New York Projects & Construction category, just as Newark and Jersey City.

Oh, and these buildings will be much more prominent than most buildings this tall because it will be on top of the Palisades, which look to me to be about 175 feet up.

[Crawford]

Aren't the Palisades like 300 ft.? I know someone at Wired NY made the calculation.

From Manhattan, I think these buildings will basically be viewed as twin 800-foot towers, because of the Palisades.

They're twin 500 ft towers, and then sitting on the Palisades, these will be very prominent towers within the greater Manhattan-area skyline.

[CCs77]

Should change the title of the thread, since this development is now called "The Modern" according to the article posted.
Maybe could be called "The Modern-Hudson Lights, to include the development in the Western half.

Originally Posted by NYguy

Ground Broken on Mixed-Use Tower Project in Fort Lee, N.J.

10/18/2012
By Linh Tat, The Record

Originally Posted by Crawford

Aren't the Palisades like 300 ft.? I know someone at Wired NY made the calculation.

From Manhattan, I think these buildings will basically be viewed as twin 800-foot towers, because of the Palisades.

They're twin 500 ft towers, and then sitting on the Palisades, these will be very prominent towers within the greater Manhattan-area skyline.

Yes, according to GE, the elevation of the Palisades is 90 meters, or about 300 feet.

These towers would be the tallest buildings in Fort Lee and in the entire Bergen County. They still be the second tallest structures in that county, behind the George Washington Bridge's west tower, (184 meters) but they will be about 55 meters taller than the bridge when added the 90 meters of elevation of the terrain on where the towers stand, so the top of the towers will be some 240 meters above the Hudson.

[CCs77]

And one thing these towers would have is a spectacular view.

This is the view to Manhattan from one of the apartments buildings nearby
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/27845857


And the view to New Jersey is not bad at all either.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5779774


http://www.panoramio.com/photo/461713
[/QUOTE]




By the way, there is also a construction site in the eastern side of this plot, that can be seen in the latest update of GE from march of this year. Does somebody knows what is that?

[Crawford]

Also, further down Main Street in Fort Lee (past Anderson Ave.), there is another highrise going up.

I don't know the details, but next time I'm in town, I'll see if there's any posted info. Fort Lee will have some major changes in the coming years.

[Duck From NY]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Aren't the Palisades like 300 ft.? I know someone at Wired NY made the calculation.

From Manhattan, I think these buildings will basically be viewed as twin 800-foot towers, because of the Palisades.

They're twin 500 ft towers, and then sitting on the Palisades, these will be very prominent towers within the greater Manhattan-area skyline.

You're probably right, I'm horrible at estimating heights. These buildings will probably be on the other side of the Palisades' crest, so I'm sure it will be less than 300 if you are correct, but certainly over 200.

The present lack of a skyline in the area combined with its proximity to the GW should make this project pack quite a wallop in terms o it's impact on the skyline.

[CCs77]

This one has been in construction for a while, it is now over 30 stories high.

Some pictures of JohnFlint1985 from SSC and some others from flickr

Originally Posted by JohnFlint1985

Fort Lee, NJ - as of Sunday
by me

47 fl about 500 ft / 150 m






this building behind the tower is part of the complex is already finished

New Building by GW Bridge por Lydia2222, en Flickr


Fort Lee by the bridge. por autismvox, en Flickr

Some panoramics, not quite new, but good to show the whole area.


DSC00343 por nickvidi, en Flickr


DSC00352 por nickvidi, en Flickr


Another one, you can see the building in the shinning


Sin título por edgar-gonzalez, en Flickr

[Austinlee]

At what point will the entire state of New Jersey be one giant dense housing/highrise city?

[mrnyc]

just one tower going up?

[CCs77]

For now yes. I think they will begin with the other the next year, once this one is completed or nearly completed.

[Crawford]

There is a also second large complex about to break ground just to the west.

This second development will be by Tucker Development, and include residential and hotel towers, and a significant retail component.

[CCs77]

Originally Posted by Crawford

There is a also second large complex about to break ground just to the west.

This second development will be by Tucker Development, and include residential and hotel towers, and a significant retail component.

Yes, it is "Hudson Lights", I think it would break ground during this year.


Here's an article about it.

Luxury in Fort Lee

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...348476542.html

An eight-acre lot in Fort Lee, N.J., once owned by Harry Helmsley, is slated to soon become a large mixed-use development after four decades of failed plans.

Tucker Development Corp., Ares Management and Kushner Real Estate Group have secured financing for the first phase of Hudson Lights, which will include 143,000 square feet of retail, 276 luxury rental apartments and 864 parking spots.

Sovereign Bank, a unit of Banco Santander SA, SAN.MC +0.03% is supplying a $117 million construction loan, and the developers will provide equity for the rest of the $218 million budget for the first phase of the project. A groundbreaking will be announced soon, and construction is expected to take around 22 months, said Richard Tucker, chief executive of Highland Park, Ill.-based Tucker Development.

Phase two of the project, which could break ground by next year, is slated to include a hotel, more retail space and an additional 200 residential units. Tucker Development also has the option of including an office building, but Mr. Tucker said that would only happen if an anchor tenant was secured before construction began.

They are doing three projects there, the smaller one, Twenty 50, is already completed and has 194 units
http://newjersey.news12.com/news/new...area-1.6090607

Here's a map with the three projects, between the tree there will be more than 1500 new housing units plus a lot of rtail space.




And here are some renders of Hudson Lights, whose first phase could break ground this year. It is another project not related to The Modern but for now I think it could be here.

The renders are from Martin demczyk http://www.demczyk.com/hudsonlights/# and the project is supposed to be from Arquitectonica, although I can't find it on their page.

[ILNY]

[mrnyc]

i was down here by the lighthouse friday afternoon -
it really stands out!






i think you can stretch this
panorama out a bit if you like:

[CCs77]

next page...

[Antares41]

Given the prominence of these building (if your in the right place you can almost see the entire city of New York) I imagine the rent on the upper floors are pretty lofty for Northern New Jersey. I wouldn't be surprise is developers are keeping a close eye on how fast these apartment fill-up. I expect more residential towers may be on the horizon.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Antares41

I expect more residential towers may be on the horizon.

Yep. There are lots of parking lots and underutilized land in Fort Lee.

With the Manhattan views, I suspect more highrises will be built. The whole city is built on very high land.

[CCs77]

Road Warrior: New Fort Lee high-rise blinds drivers - See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/2256....YqKXhCcx.dpuf

As they move through Fort Lee, eastbound drivers approaching the George Washington Bridge just before sundown can’t help but bathe uncomfortably in the intense glow of the dazzling glass tower that’s slowly reaching into the sky.

The 47-story luxury high-rise — called The Modern — is being billed as a huge attraction for the little borough by the Hudson, but the blinding glare has made some Manhattan-bound motorists look away and scream.

September gripes about this phenomenon are hardly unusual, but late-afternoon gripers normally are heading west into the sun, not east into Manhattan. Besides offering 450 luxury rental apartments and spectacular views of New York City, The Modern manages to reverse this dynamic by bouncing the sun’s rays into the eyes of eastbound drivers.

"It felt like somebody shined a Bat-Signal into our faces," Bogert recalled.

The Park Ridge reader said the glare was so strong that neither his polarized sunglasses nor his windshield visor could block it.

But none of the reflected sunlight from The Modern in Fort Lee approaches the hideous intensity of the Walkie Talkie in London, where the sun in early fall beats directly on the building for two hours or more. The glare from the high-rise on the Jersey side of the Hudson generally lasts several minutes at most.

And unlike the enormous engineering challenges posed by the Walkie Talkie, the Fort Lee mayor believes The Modern may one day elude the sun’s rays altogether.

"This is only the first building being built for this project," Sokolich noted. "There’s more to come, so I think the sun won’t get through."

And the other mega project across the street from this one Hudson Lights, has just broke ground


Retail, luxury development to rise on Fort Lee lot that sat empty 50 years

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2..._50_years.html

Earth movers and tractors were pushing dirt around Wednesday at a lot that had sat undeveloped for almost 50 years.

Tucker Development plans to to construct 1 million square feet of retail, luxury apartments and parking at the parcel bordered by Main Street, Martha Washington Way, Bruce Reynolds Boulevard and Central Road.

“This has taken a little bit of time,” Richard Tucker, CEO of Tucker Development, said at the official groundbreaking for Hudson Lights, drawing laughs.

Developers have been trying to make something of the lot for almost all of 50-year-old Mayor Mark Sokolich’s life. Today, a half-built 48-story glass building looms over the site, with a sister building to go up soon after, part of the Modern, one of the other large developments coming to Fort Lee.

The first phase of the Hudson Lights development will join the towers soon. It will make Fort Lee a shopping destination, Sokolich said, and continue what the mayor called the Borough’s “renaissance.”

He also did not give a time frame for phase two of the project, which would include a hotel and more residences and retail space.

Phase one should open in less than two years, Tucker said.

Work starts on new Fort Lee community

http://www.rew-online.com/2013/10/17...lee-community/

he first shovel of dirt was dug for a new one million square feet community in Fort Lee, NJ, yesterday (Wednesday).

Tucker Development and Kushner Real Estate Group were joined by Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich and officials from Ares Management and general contractor Tishman Construction to break ground on the project and introduce its lead tenant.

State-of-the-art movie theater iPic will build an eight-screen, 533-seat luxury cinema and its dining concept, Tanzy, as part of the development’s first phase.

Called Hudson Lights, Phase 1 of the development near the entrance to the George Washington Bridge will have 517,000 s/f of commercial and residential space. Some 143,000 s/f will be occupied by retail and 276 luxury apartments will be built in towers that will include a pool, lounge, fitness center, rooftop terrace and gardens. The development’s first phase will also include 864 parking stalls.

The fully entitled second phase of Hudson Lights is approved to include an additional 201 residential units, approximately 50,000 s/f of retail space and parking, as well as a 175-room hotel.

The zoning also affords the development the option for an office building of up to 430,000 s/f.

Demolition and clearing of the site have commenced. Completion of the project’s first construction phase is scheduled for summer 2015.

[CCs77]

October 17th


George Washington Bridge por AeroFennec, en Flickr