Housing at the malls and a $900M hospital: Major projects coming to Paramus in 2024
Paramus, the crossroads of Bergen County, could see a housing boom in 2024 and projects that promise to reshape some local institutions.
Developers are seeking approvals to erect hundreds of apartment units at or near three of the borough's high-profile shopping destinations, part of an effort across the retail industry to help mall properties survive the challenge of online shopping. The Paramus proposals also envision new green space, shopping, a hotel and office properties, if fully realized.
After seven decades, meanwhile, The Valley Hospital will move to a new home off Route 17 with a nearly $1 billion price tag.
In the new year, here are four of the biggest projects to watch for in Paramus.
Garden State Plaza redevelopment
Westfield Garden State Plaza has proposed a massive overhaul that would transform part of its western parking lot into a mixed-use residential complex, a public park with a restored Sprout Brook, a seasonal hockey rink and an upscale hotel. Hearings have been ongoing before the Paramus Planning Board and will continue into the new year. If all stages are approved, the 66-year-old mall could eventually be home to almost 1,400 housing units.
The board is currently considering the initial phase proposed by mall owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which would add two five-story buildings with 575 units and about 50,000 square feet of ground-floor shops. The developers have also proposed a 1-acre green to provide an outdoor gathering space and "downtown" area, not just for new residents but for the entire borough.
Unibail and co-developer Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC also envision additional phases that would include the hotel, senior housing, a retail transit center and additional residential buildings. All the phases combined would add about 1,384 units around the mall, if approved.
Bergen Town Center redevelopment
A mixed-use apartment complex is slated for Bergen Town Center, which plans to add two buildings featuring residential units atop ground-floor retail, private courtyards, pools, fitness areas and game rooms. The Planning Board gave its approval in May.
Owner UE Bergen East LLC will construct a total of 456 apartments on the east side of the mall’s property, where a closed Kirkland's home decor and furniture store, a Red Robin restaurant and Recreational Equipment Inc. now stand. The first building will have 182 apartments, and the second 274 units.
Sixty-eight apartments would be designated for affordable housing. To shield homes in nearby Maywood, the developers also promised to plant more trees to create a "traditional forest" as a buffer around the apartment complex.
More: What North Jersey towns could be hot for homebuying in 2024? Real estate agents weigh in
Apartments on From Road near Paramus Park mall
Housing developer R&O Paramus plans to build about 360 apartments next to the Paramus Park mall on From Road, west of the Garden State Parkway. The two-building complex would rise on land north of the mall and on parts of its parking lot, taking over about 60,000 square feet outside the Macy's department store.
The Planning Board approved the project in early December. The builder amended a plan approved last year by the board, adding about 100 housing units and doubling the retail space in one of the two apartment buildings. R&O came back with an expanded vision once it completed a deal to purchase part of the Macy’s parking lot, the company said.
Philadelphia-based developer Russo Acquisitions, an affiliate of R&O Paramus, will also seek approvals for a second phase of the development next year. If approved, that phase would add 159 apartments, more ground-floor shopping and an office building on the northeastern corner of the Macy's lot.
A brand new Valley Hospital
Finally, the borough will be the site of a massive medical migration in April, when The Valley Hospital moves from its current home in Ridgewood to an $868 million campus in Paramus. The opening, currently scheduled for April 14, will culminate an almost six-year effort to bring the 910,000-square-foot medical center to fruition.
The building will feature 370 single-patient rooms and an emergency department with 67 patient rooms. It also will offer a bit of Bergen County's cultural heritage: In October, the Paramus campus became the new home of the giant mural that once hung on the old Alexander's department store at Routes 4 and 17, a roadside landmark that was dismantled 25 years ago. The brightly colored panels have moved around various North Jersey locations for decades, but several now stand on display in the hospital's garden and hallways.
Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: noda@northjersey.com
Twitter: @snoda11
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: These four projects could transform Paramus in 2024
