By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – Construction of varying scales is transforming the borough’s train station area.
Denholtz Properties recently announced construction plans for a major redevelopment project in partnership with NJ Transit. The project will also require approval from the Red Bank Planning Board before construction can begin in 2027.
Meanwhile, another developer broke ground in the same vicinity for a conceptually smaller project, accelerating the borough’s overall transit-oriented development.
The 20-unit boutique condominium building, Dua Bella Residences, broke ground June 24 at 78 Bridge Ave., marking the latest in a wave of development around the borough’s transit hub.
The borough’s train station redevelopment plans, approved last year, allow increased density around it, and many developments – big and small – are now advancing, one parcel at a time.
Designed as a “boutique community,” Dua Bella Residences is being developed by family-owned development firm Home Junction, owned by Middlesex County residents Honey Meerzon and her husband Julian Dozortcev.
The total building area will be about 45,000 square feet, with two commercial spaces on the ground level. Of the 20 residential units, two will be dedicated to affordable housing. The building will feature condo units ranging from roughly 1,900 to 2,300 square feet, all offered for purchase, not for rent.
“In a market where large rental developments have become the norm, we wanted to create something that feels like home,” Meerzon said.
According to Meerzon, the cost of units is estimated between $1.3 million and $1.35 million.
The building is designed to appeal to downsizers, commuters and long-term residents who want to remain in Red Bank while enjoying larger, high-end condo spaces within walking distance of the train station and downtown restaurants.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2027. Presale reservations for units are expected to open within the next two weeks, Meerzon said.
When completed, the building will sit on the former site of popular Mexican restaurant Mi Lupita’s Kitchen, which has relocated to 193 Shrewsbury Ave.
At the groundbreaking, Mayor Billy Portman and other borough officials addressed the pace of recent construction and residents’ mixed feelings about it.
“I understand the residents’ concern that it’s all happening at once,” Portman said. “Most of that’s out of my hands. These are projects that were approved before my time. But I also said, when I was running for mayor, development adjacent to the train station is very appropriate. That’s where we want to have development.”
Portman noted that Dua Bella fits fully within Red Bank’s Master Plan and did not require a variance.
“We want to encourage use of public transit, walking areas,” Portman said, adding that projects that align with the Master Plan help the borough guide growth more predictably.
Borough manager Jim Gant added that the flurry of projects signals strong investor confidence in Red Bank.
“To me, the (development) boom just shows that Red Bank’s on the map,” Gant said. “I think it just shows that people want to do business in Red Bank. I’ve heard it anecdotally from many business owners and builders that it’s the place to be. They’re seeing the return on their investment.”
Last year the borough approved a redevelopment plan covering nearly 25 acres around the train station. The plan calls for mixed-use developments that provide an economic boost to the area and can eventually bridge the divide between the east and west sides of Red Bank.
“It’s so ultra-important for developments like this to be built, so we don’t end up with 10-story developments 10 years from now,” said West Side resident and councilmember Ben Yuro, who was at the Dua Bella groundbreaking.
While the project provides a balance in scale across from Denholtz Properties’ 57-unit rental apartment building The Rail at Red Bank, projects recently greenlit on the West Side show varying densities typical of a transit village.
Denholtz Properties is the designated developer of the borough’s train station redevelopment plans and NJ Transit’s official development partner. The developer was recently cleared by the NJ Transit Board to advance construction on nearly six acres of NJ Transit property. The first phase features a 175-unit mixed-use rental project located on the northeastern side of the train tracks, slated to begin construction in 2027.
The article originally appeared in the July 2 – 8, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
