Green Village School demolition begins in Madison
MADISON - The long-awaited demolition of the former Green Village Road School is underway as contractors clear the 5-acre property near downtown for construction of a new mixed-use complex.
"The demolition is on schedule to be completed the first week of April, with construction to begin immediately after that," Borough Administrator Raymond Codey said Wednesday. "We are expecting a construction cycle of about one year to 16 months, so residents should see a lot of activity in the area."
The construction plans include 100 luxury-rental residences, 35 condominiums, a retail space for a farm-to-table restaurant, an underground parking garage, a 16,000-square-foot "public realm" outdoor space and a new community center for theater, cultural and community events.
The KRE Group and Mark Built Homes announced the purchase of the property in January. The KRE Group first announced plans to acquire it in 2014.
“A property of this size, less than two blocks from a train station with direct service to Manhattan, has enormous potential,” said Jonathan Kushner, president of The KRE Group.
The Madison Board of Education said that the property was sold for $12 million and that it had reached an agreement to give $1 million to the borough. The building had also housed school offices in its later years, while the sloping property, which ends at Kings Road, has for many years been a popular location for snow-sledding.
Codey said the public realm space at the bottom of the hill near Kings Road will include a gazebo and can be used for a variety of public events, including concerts.
Demolition began last week on the property with the razing of the former public elementary school, which was closed in 1976. The building then went unused until 1984, when it was repurposed for school district offices, storage and as a home for Playwrights Theatre.
Recently rebranded as the Writer's Theatre of New Jersey, and still under the operation of Artistic Director John Pietrowski, the professional theater company moved its offices to a public building on Walnut Street in 2011 in anticipation of the building's eventual sale.
"I probably spent more time in that building than anyone, so it is very sad to see it go," Pietrowski said. "There were five different theaters working there at one point or another, so there was a lot of creativity going on. But (the new development) really is a nice project. The (community center) space is about the same size as our old black-box theater at the school, and people will be able to walk right out of the restaurant and into the theater."
Codey said the borough is in discussions with several nonprofit and community groups, including the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, about how the community center can be used. The development deal also came with an agreement for the borough to use the space at a cost of $1 per year.
"We are getting more stores open downtown and this is a way for us to build up some foot traffic," Codey said.
The Board of Education first acquired the property by purchasing two parcels of land from the Burnet family in 1944. The school building was completed in 1949, with additions built in 1955.
Mark Built Homes, based in Union, has built similar developments including James Place in Morris Township, Pheasant Crossing in Bernardsville and the Basking Ridge section of Bernards, and Summit Place in Summit. They are contracted to build the 35 condos.
“Our goal is to capitalize on the ideal setting with upscale homes of character and value that truly deliver a unique residential product to the neighborhood,” said Michael Markovitz, president of Mark Built Homes.
KRE, based in Bridgewater, has developed and leased residential properties in Jersey City, including 18 Park, 225 Grand and Grove Pointe. It is currently developing Journal Squared, a collection of three residential towers in Jersey City’s historic Journal Square neighborhood that will ultimately comprise 1,838 rental residences and 36,000 square feet of commercial space, according to a news release from KRE.
Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.