Facade Work on Park Avenue

This building, once the home of the Courier News and later Thomas Furniture and Atkol, is being transformed into apartments on the upper floors, with retail space on the ground floor. On Saturday, workers were removing the multi-paned windows.

As with all of developer Frank Cretella's projects, it has a unique name: Next Step to Collins Avenue LLC.

The building to the right has been renovated and is leasing four apartments over medical offices at ground level. This one is known as Certified Green Property One LLC.

Click on image to enlarge and see the ghost "Courier News" sign.
In all, Cretella has seven projects in various stages of development. There are two more on this block, which is anchored by the PNC Bank. The largest is called West Second Street Commons Urban Renewal LLC and includes 148 residential units on what is currently a large parking lot next to the Raritan Valley Line train tracks. The bank itself is up for redevelopment as a nightclub and retail space, where Cretella once hinted at Trader Joe's as a tenant. That project is called The Bank on Park LLC.

There has been no action recently at  the former Mirons warehouse on East Second Street and Gavett Place, the former "luxury condos" Cretella has dubbed Gavett Place Properties LLC. Twelve apartments are to be part of that project.

Still to come are 20 more apartments on East Second Street in construction above the former Romonds Jeep site, now called Art Lofts I LLC. An office project, Front Street Offices Urban Renewal LLC, would occupy the former Appliance Arama warehouse, but work has yet to begin.

--Bernice