The Modern is a residential skyscraper complex in Fort Lee, New Jersey near George Washington Bridge Plaza at the western end of the George Washington Bridge (GWB) on the Hudson Waterfront. Situated atop the Hudson Palisades, the twin towers provide panoramic views of the New York City skyline, the Hudson River, the GWB, and surrounding suburbs.
| The Modern | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | Fort Lee, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°51′09″N 73°57′59″W / 40.8524°N 73.9663°W |
| Construction started | 2012 |
| Completed | 2014-15 (Tower 1)[1] 2016-18 (Tower 2)[2] |
| Cost | $239 million[3] |
| Height | |
| Roof | 496 ft (151 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 47 |
| Lifts/elevators | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Elkus Manfredi Architects |
| Developer | SJP Properties |
| Structural engineer | DeSimone Consulting Engineers |
| Civil engineer | Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor |
| References | |
| [4][5] | |
The architectural firm of Elkus Manfredi Architects designed the buildings, one of the world's tallest twin-tower projects.[6][7] Construction began in 2014 and was completed in 2018. The towers are 496 ft (151 m) and 47 stories tall. It received a 2018 New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award[8] and an honorable mention in the 2019 Architecture MasterPrize.[9]
The towers are part of a larger urban renewal project for the long vacant parcel, where film studios were located when Fort Lee was the home America's first motion picture industry. The Barrymore Film Center was built adjacent to the towers.[10] An adjacent project called Hudson Lights includes retail, hotel and office space, including a three-screen movie theater.[11] The 16-acre (6.5 ha) site on which the Modern (east parcel) and Hudson Lights (west parcel) are built had been undeveloped for close to 47 years.[12] Civic leaders in Ft. Lee had sought to develop the vacant, 16-acre site since the 1970s, two attempts to put together a project failed in between 1970 and 1980, and in 2008, a $1 billion development project by Centuria Corp., which then owned the site, fell through.[13]
There was a controversy in which developers had tried to bribe Fort Lee's mayor via an organized crime representative. The mayor reported the incident, wore a wire, and exposed the attempt, as documented in the 1976 book The Bribe.[14][15][16] William Zeckendorf acquired the site, but construction plans never materialized.[17][18][19] Harry B. Helmsley later owned the parcels, but the intended project was not constructed.[20] Town and Country Developers bought the tract from his estate in 2005. Eventually, SJP and Tucker Development acquired the two sites.
In 2016 an agreement was made with the town that The Modern and Hudson Lights would make Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT).[21] Developers of the project, SJP Properties, are funding the construction of new sewer lines to the town to accommodate the new residents created by the development.[22] An approximately 2-acre (0.81 ha) area between the buildings was deeded back to the borough for use as public park.[12] It does not include units which contribute to the boroughs affordable state required housing stock.[23] The borough also anticipated traffic issues and a larger school population due to the new residents.[24][25]
The project contains 75,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities: an infinity pool, barbecue stations, basketball and volleyball courts, a lawn with an outdoor jumbotron, a screening room, a residents lounge, a business center, a spa/sauna, a fitness center, indoor and outdoor children's play areas, a covered dog walk and pet spa, a golf simulation room and a karaoke/gaming room.[26]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "The Modern I, Fort Lee - 1215489 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019.
- ^ "The Modern II, Fort Lee - 1215491 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018.
- ^ Tat, Ling (19 November 2013). "Luxury Fort Lee high-rise transforms Bergen County skyline". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ "The Modern Tower A". Skyscraperpage. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
- ^ "The Modern at Fort Lee". Architect Magazine The Journal of the American Institute of Architects. April 29, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Morris, Sebastian (22 June 2018). ""The Modern II" Celebrates Grand Opening in Fort Lee, New Jersey". New York YIMBY. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the buildings stand 47 stories tall and comprise one of the tallest twin-towered developments in the world.
- ^ Ma, Myles (26 April 2016). "Construction starts on second Fort Lee tower". nj.com. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ "New Jersey Chapter of the America Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards February 2018" (PDF). Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ "The Modern at Fort Lee". architectureprize.com.
- ^ Cattafi, Kristie; Zurita, Anthony (3 October 2018). "Construction set to begin on Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee". North Jersey. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Bindelglass, Evan (October 20, 2016). "Take A Tour Of Hudson Lights, Part Of Fort Lee's Ongoing Transformation". New York YIMBY.
- ^ a b Wander, Erik (4 January 2013). "Mayor Promises Progress on Development, Communications, Main Street". Fort Lee, NJ Patch. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Burd, Joshua (22 October 2012). "After four decades, major Ft. Lee project gets its groundbreaking". New Jersey Business. 25 (43).
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (11 September 1974). "Realty Company Indicted in Plan for Ft. Lee Bribe". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Cook, Fred J. (26 September 1976). "The Bribe". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Pugliese, Nicholas (8 May 2016). "Resurgence in Fort Lee as long-empty lot developed". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (24 July 1974). "Zeckendorf Plans to Build Disputed Ft. Lee Complex". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (27 August 1974). "Zeckendorf Offers Smaller Plan For Fort Lee Washington Plaza". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (27 August 1974). "New Plaza Plan Given in Fort Lee". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Martin, Antoinette (29 April 2007). "Center Stage in Fort Lee". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Pugliese, Nicholas (21 January 2016). "Housing developers agree to pay Fort Lee annual fees in lieu of taxes". The Record. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016.
- ^ Darragh, Tim (19 April 2015). "Time for a traffic jam in Fort Lee, but for a good cause this time". NJ.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ Atmonavage, Joe (11 October 2017). "A luxury property development is being sued for not offering affordable units". nj.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Ma, Myles (17 March 2015). "As new developments rise, Fort Lee girds for population boom". nj.com. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Kaysen, Ronda (17 October 2014). "Transforming a Skyline". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ "Amenities". Retrieved 14 November 2022.