The Grandview Apartments
Keep An Eye On This Space!
The Affordable Housing Alliance (AHA) is excited to share information on the future changes coming to Grandview Appartments, and once we have more to share we’ll be updating this page. Call the AHA at 1 (848) 217-4345 with any questions and to learn more.
Grandview Residents Meeting Recap
October 19, 2023
Meeting Summary
Chris Pugliese, Director of Housing Development at the Affordable Housing Alliance provided the following update:
The Block and Lots consisting of Grandview apartments have been declared a Non-Condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment by Keansburg Borough. The next step is for the Borough to adopt a Redevelopment Plan for the area. We presented our plans for the site to Council on August 16th, 2023 (available on page 19 of that meeting’s minutes – https://keansburgnj.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/08.16.23-Meeting-Minutes-website.pdf). AHA is looking forward to future conversations with the Borough in order to adopt the Redevelopment Plan and start moving on the project.
We then introduced Melvin Rodriguez of Chase Bank. For anyone that would potentially have to move off site, there will be far more options for you in the private landlord market if you have a good credit score. Melvin gave a presentation on the importance of credit, some misconceptions, and how to start moving your credit in a positive direction. He is here to work with our residents and help any of you where he can with cleaning up financial issues. Melvin can be reached for follow up at [email protected] or 732-648-5091.
Redevelopment Q & A
Below are a number of questions and answers from the October 19th meeting held with the residents of Grandview Apartments. These are focused primarily on new development. Any question regarding an issue with your existing unit should be directed to the Property Management Office.
- Will building one be knocked down now? There are no immediate plans to knock down building one. All doors and windows are secured. Utilities are in the process of being turned off. We have informed the Borough that the building is empty. If you see anyone inside Building One, please call the police first, and then notify AHA Property Management.
- When the time comes for relocation, and people need to be moved off-site, what happens if the rent is more than what they are paying currently at Grandview? We will be working with anyone that potentially has to move off site on an individual basis to ensure they have a comparable living situation. We will ensure you are not paying more than what your certified rent at that time should be.
- If a resident currently has a two-bedroom apartment and a relative that stays with them three months out of the year, would they be able to qualify for another two-bedroom unit in the redevelopment? You will have to be qualified for the newly developed site based on your legally recognized household size and bedroom need. In this scenario, the resident would qualify for a one-bedroom unit.
- Are you going to continue to fix units before redevelopment? We will continue to make necessary repairs as needed to apartments.
- For the residents that need to move off-site, what is the procedure? We will have greater detail closer to a relocation actually occurring. At bare minimum, we will be following the Uniform Relocation Act. This ensures we give you at least 90 days’ notice and assist with moving. We will look to give more notice than that, and work with a relocation specialist to find the best living scenario we can for anyone who needs to move off site. We will be here to help you through the process.
- If a family needs to be relocated off-site, when the time comes, will they know how long they will be off-site for? Asking for children that are in the school system- will they need to go to another district? Depending on timing, will they qualify for transportation? We don’t know the answers here at this time. We would need financing in place, and a construction schedule in order to determine a timeline. We do not have that level of detail yet. We will share when we can give a better answer. We would also be happy to meet with the School Board when we are closer to this becoming a reality, and discuss potential impact on Grandview families.
- Is redevelopment going to be done in phases? Yes. We are planning on a multi-phase project.
- Are the rents going up in the new apartments? The rents will be calculated based on rules surrounding Low Income Housing Tax Credits. If you have a Section 8 voucher, that will ultimately determine what you are paying in rent. If not, we will make sure you are in a comparable scenario.
- Are the utilities still going to be included? Individuals will be paying their own utilities at the new property. However, when calculating rent, an allowance will be figured in that is intended to offset your utility costs.
- Will the units be all electric or electric and gas? This has not been determined as of yet, but our funding sources are trending to all electric in new construction.
- Are pets allowed in the new development? Service Animals and Emotional Support animals will be allowed.
- Now that building 1 is empty, is AHA going to move onto building two and work on emptying that building? No. Building 1 was a unique situation due to structural deficiencies.
- Will AHA provide moving trucks when we need to relocate? Moving assistance will be provided for anyone potentially relocated off site. We do not have details at this stage as far as what that will be.
- When a new building is built and you are ready to move people back in, what does that process look like? Will everyone be allowed to return back? Do we have to go through another application process? Can we not qualify? Everyone will have the right to return to the property if moved off site. There will be a new application process. We will work with everyone throughout this to ensure they qualify. Again you will have the right to return.
RUMOR KILLERS
Also discussed at the meeting, please don’t listen to everything you hear regarding Grandview Apartments future and take it as accurate. If you are unsure of anything, you can always e-mail us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 848-217-4345 and we will get back to you. Once again, we would like to clarify:
- Nobody is being kicked out of their apartment. Any eventual offsite relocation will come with individual assistance from AHA’s team, and an absolute right to return.
- AHA is here for the long term and is not selling the property
- AHA’s Development team is still a part of this project and has not dropped out.
- We are 100% committed to seeing this project to fruition.
An Update For Grandview Residents
May 01, 2023
Grandview Residents Meeting Recap
February 15, 2023
On February 15, 2023, the Affordable Housing Alliance (AHA) held a meeting with residents of Grandview Apartments, at the nearby Bayshore Senior Center. This meeting is intended to be an initial step. We will have regular dialogue with and continue to inform residents of the exciting future for the site. Presenters included Randi Moore (AHA – CEO), Chris Pugliese (AHA – Director of Housing Development), and Steve Schoch (Thriven Design – Principal/Architect).
The aging infrastructure of the site was the leading portion of the discussion. The buildings at Grandview Apartments were built in 1968, over 50 years ago. They already underwent one major rehabilitation/renovation in the mid-1990s. This site has particular struggles, given its proximity to the Raritan Bay. Building One on Beachway Avenue is around 14 feet below the flood line while building 9 is about 6 feet below the flood line. If this were a new site, you could not have apartments at those elevations. This has created a consistent issue of water infiltration across the property, which has continued to damage these buildings, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This has led to extensive physical issues at the site, which many residents have dealt with firsthand.
As an Agency, we have determined that we need to explore New Construction options for the site. We have assembled a team of experts to assist us with this. But it has become clear we need to ensure affordable housing remains on this property, while also having a Grandview Apartments that meet modern standards, is built to sustain the future climate and can provide a better living experience for all residents, present and future. It’s also become apparent to us that there are currently funding mechanisms that can potentially allow us to see a greater vision for the future at the site.
The team put together by AHA includes The Alpert Group (https://www.thealpertgroup.com/), MidAtlantic Engineering (http://midatlanticeng.com/), and Thriven Design (https://thriven.design/). The Developer, Engineer, and Architect each have an extensive background working with various forms of affordable and mixed-income housing in the State of New Jersey. AHA previously worked with the team on 48 and 98-unit projects, in Ocean Township and Neptune Township respectively.
Steve Schoch of Thriven design described numerous projects he has worked on. These included a site in Newark he is currently working on, which had very similar flooding parameters as Grandview Apartments. He described the necessity of elevator buildings in new construction for this site, based on the flood line issues. He also described the potential of a Mixed Income building, where there are both affordable and market-rate units seamlessly interspersed.
We wanted to reiterate that we understand that all of this information can be a lot to process. We are currently still in the early design phase and do not know what construction phasing looks like at this time. There may be some degree of offsite relocation required in the future, however, we are working to mitigate that. We have a consultant on board who specializes in that field. Any person or family who may be affected in this manner will have a team working with them on an individual basis to assist in finding alternative housing. They will also have the right to return to the site.
As we learn more, we will continue to keep you informed. Continue to check this website for periodic updates. You may also call the phone line at 848-217-4345 and leave a message with questions regarding the future of Grandview Apartments. We will check the line periodically and respond. This line is only for future plans, maintenance issues should continue to be reported through the Grandview management office.