Kaplan Cos. Will Build 911-Unit Waterfront Community

The timetable for build-out is sketchy, with Jason Kaplan, president of the company, indicating only that "the project will be completed in the next few years. This is," he continues, "a tremendous project for this community. It will increase the amount of housing units in the township by about 20%. Such investment will spark the local economy, from tax revenues to township coffers to helping support many of the local businesses."

Kaplan Cos., which has built more than 20,000 homes in the Garden State, along with projects in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas, also aims to give its project a neighborhood flair. It is "designed as a neo-traditional style, harking back to the days of pre-war brownstones," according to Kaplan, who says his company is targeting a combination of young professionals from metro Philadelphia and so-called "empty nesters." His indicates that unit prices will be in the $150,000 to $275,000 range.

The project, which hasn't been given a name yet, is being designed by Minno & Wasko Architects of Lambertville, NJ. Located along the Delaware River in South Jersey's Burlington County, its site plan will also include a shopping complex, although no details of that component have been released. The emphasis will be on convenience retail, according to Kaplan.

He also ties the project to the state's effort to promote development of so-called "transit villages," residential-dominated mixed-use projects developed around existing major transit hubs. In this case, the project itself will likely precede the transportation. A light rail line is planned to connect the cities of Trenton and Camden, and it will apparently have a stop at or near the development site.

Other elements of Kaplan's project include a waterfront promenade along the Delaware River, as well as a marina. "We are reserving a parcel near the river as open space," according to Kaplan.