On September 4, the Somerville council adopted a redevelopment plan for the borough’s 112-acre former landfill that calls for a mix of commercial, residential and open space.  The plan calls for approximately 1,200 new residential units with commercial and multi-family units clustered near the Somerville train station with a outlying neighborhood of brownstone-style townhomes.  The plan also calls for the preservation of approximately 50 acres of wetlands as open space.  A copy of the plan is available at http://www.somervillenj.org/. 

From the September 5, 2007 Star Ledger: 

With the unanimous vote, Somerville officials can now begin collecting developers’ proposals for the 112-acre tract. Seventy-three developers already have expressed interest in the project, and officials plan to formally seek proposals later this month, said Colin Driver, the borough’s economic development coordinator.

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The land is surrounded by Route 206, the Raritan Valley rail line and South Bridge Street, and was the site of Somerville’s landfill until the facility closed in 1984. After the closure, developer Rosenshein Associates of New Rochelle, N.Y., had planned to build a shopping mall at the site, but later abandoned those efforts, tangling the borough in litigation for nearly two decades.

For the complete Star Ledger story go to:

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/somerset/index.ssf?/base/news-2/118896794990500.xml&coll=1

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