New Jersey’s capital was once a bustling hub of manufacturing and commerce. Now, numerous brick buildings stand vacant and dilapidated after the widespread deindustrialization of the 60’s and 70’s. The city is now using its stock of abandoned buildings as an opportunity for growth and redevelopment. Clarke Caton Hintz architectural design paired with HHG Development Associates to redevelop a block called the “Roebling Center” into a mixed use project on the city’s south side. The first phase of the project saw the retrofitting of “building 101”- now coined as the Roebling Lofts, into 138 loft style apartments.
The building formerly known as the “Clark Street Rope Shop” was erected in 1917 and was the manufacturing hall for the Roebling Company’s light and medium gauge wire rope. This specialty product was well known for its use on the Brooklyn Bridge as well as in early aircraft manufacturing. HHG development chose this building as the first to renovate and retrofitted it with masonry upgrades, a new roof with photovoltaic panels, massive steel windows to match the originals, and all new flooring, as well as modern electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. They pursued numerous USGBC credits to attain LEED Gold certification on the building. This phase of the redevelopment was one of seven projects awarded the NJ DEP’s 2018 Historic Preservation Award.
This was largely an attempt to attract economic growth in the region and catalyze recovery of the city of Trenton. John Hatch, a principal of HHG development (and Trenton resident), claims that Trenton is poised to be the next big thing. Other Eastern industrial cities like Hoboken and Jersey City recovered in the late 1990’s after the hollowing of the industrial district and the workforce that surrounded them. Trenton, due to its lacking tax base and further proximity from NYC, has not made a resounding recovery. To achieve this recovery, Hatch and his colleagues laid out an ambitious plan to retrofit two buildings on the Roebling site as well as construct two new buildings and a structural parking garage. The site is also located in a Garden State Growth Zone- providing the highest levels of state and federal tax credit incentives.
Upon completion, the site will boast 7.1 acres of mixed use development: 6 buildings, 190 residential lofts, 178,000 square feet of modern office space, and 4 restaurants – all surrounding the “Railyard” public plaza for recreation and public events.
https://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/4sustain/awds2018.htm#awd4