Bayonne’s planning board has signed off on a sweeping three-building project at 1 Lefante Way that is set to dramatically remake the South Cove stretch of the waterfront. The approved plan calls for two 300-foot residential towers and an eight-story hotel that together would bring roughly 696 apartments, a 125-room hotel with a large banquet hall, plus new retail and restaurant space to the site. Developers have not yet put a date on shovels hitting the ground. The complex will sit directly along the Hudson River waterfront walkway and will carve into part of the existing South Cove Commons retail footprint.
Project details
As reported by Jersey Digs, the hotel portion is planned at about 98,209 square feet with 125 guest rooms, a 19,639-square-foot banquet facility, roughly 9,520 square feet of retail and a 9,400-square-foot restaurant. The residential side would rise in two 300-foot towers with a total of 696 homes and 508 enclosed parking spaces reserved for residents.
Design and site
According to New York YIMBY, the project was designed by MHS Architects and is co-owned by South Cove Development II LLC and South Cove Development III LLC. YIMBY’s renderings show glass curtain walls framed by metal mullions, striking diagonal columns bracing the bases of the buildings and a multi-story podium that will house the hotel.
Background and local context
Jersey Digs notes that the proposal has been in the works for years, and city planning records point to prior approvals and multiple extension requests tied to One LeFante Way and the broader Riverwalk at South Cove Redevelopment. The slow burn shows up clearly in municipal filings and past planning board actions, according to city planning documents.
What’s next
With planning board approval now in the bag, the project heads toward permit applications and any remaining municipal sign-offs, although there is still no public construction schedule. As New York YIMBY reports, the developers have not announced a start date, and officials have yet to spell out the exact playbook for breaking ground.
