By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
OCEANPORT – New Jersey City University’s new Fort Monmouth campus could welcome its first students in fall 2020, now that its drastically downsized campus plan has been approved following months of meetings, debate and comments from local officials and the public.
The fort’s two-story 84-year-old Squier Hall will be transformed into modern classrooms, laboratories and more. The developer, KKF University Enterprises, hopes to close on the 8-acre property this summer and start work, according to Bruce Steadman, executive director of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), the agency overseeing redevelopment of the 1,126-acre former U.S. Army base.
In accordance with FMERA’s land use rules, prior to approving new fort developments, the governing body of each host municipality (Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls), must undertake a 45-day comment period. Municipalities can submit their written recommendations. FMERA staff review those reports and prepare an analysis for the authority’s board to consider and vote on.
Eatontown and Tinton Falls offered no comments on the original NJCU plan. Oceanport submitted over 40 pages of comments after review by the borough’s planner, engineer, environmental commission, planning board, police department, first aid, fire department, and office of emergency management.
The fort’s master redevelopment plan, known as the “Reuse Plan,” originally designated the Squier Hall parcel as part of a high tech and green industry campus providing “an opportunity to leverage existing high-tech facilities, infrastructure, and the intellectual capital of a skilled workforce,” according to FMERA documents. It further stated, “It is intended to serve as an educational showpiece and become the area’s main knowledge center.” The sole bidder, KKF, will pay $2.5 million for the site.
“New Jersey City University met with KKF and borough officials,” Steadman explained. “During that meeting, NJCU agreed to some changes and asked KKF to revisit the site plan accordingly, which they did.” The Oceanport Planning Board approved the revisions April 9, followed by FMERA’s approval April 23. “The process established by FMERA statute wanted the public to be able to make comments. The developer and NJCU heard them and agreed to make the changes. The process worked,” Steadman said.
Under the new parameters, Squier Hall will become classrooms, while obsolete buildings on the property will be demolished for parking lots surrounded by landscaping, trees and pedestrian walkways. A nature preserve and trails will be created, including a 12-foot wide multiuse trail throughout the property. Omitted from the plan are a five-story residence hall, a five-story academic lab building and visual arts center, a five-story athletic center, a two-story performing arts center, a five-story parking garage and athletic fields with support sheds and field houses.
“In this case, the process worked exactly as designed,” said Oceanport Mayor Jay Coffey. “We provided a trove of concerns. FMERA took them to heart and amended the plan with the developer, reducing it to its barest essentials. Only the first phase was approved. Further development would be years down the line.”
During a FMERA bus tour of the fort for area residents in March, Coffey noted that, “the fort was once a thriving community with people and traffic,” and that Squier Hall is in a section where buildings would not be seen from Oceanport Avenue. While a college campus presents fire and safety concerns, he said, in addition to NJCU’s security, additional security will be provided by borough police and emergency services relocating to a nearby fort parcel.
“I’m very excited to have NJCU here,” Coffey said. “Having a college campus on this site is a benefit to Oceanport. It enhances the entire fort project and will reflect positively on Oceanport as a place to live and work. Additionally, it will pay real estate taxes. They haven’t come to Oceanport on that yet; that could be a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). A school that pays taxes is a unicorn.”
Opened in 1929 as the New Jersey State Normal School, NJCU was renamed New Jersey State Teachers College in 1935, and Jersey City State College in 1958. Its current name change occurred in 1998. KKF is a member company of PRC Group of West Long Branch, a commercial and residential real estate development, property management, and construction firm.
“We will have a university that serves Oceanport and regional students,” Steadman said. “The FMERA board and team are thrilled NJCU will be occupying land and buildings there. It will be an attractive, great location and they will be great neighbors.”
This article was first published in the May 2 – 8, 2019 printed edition of The Two River Times.
