MIDDLETOWN, N.J. – Residents are getting their most detailed look yet at the proposed redevelopment of the former Circus Liquors property on Route 35, where plans call for 450 homes across several types of residential buildings.
Once hailed “The Shoppes at Middletown”, the project now appears to be exclusively townhomes.
The documents released by Middletown include a full concept site plan and architectural renderings showing traditional townhomes, stacked townhomes and affordable housing buildings. The proposal is part of a settlement between Middletown Township and AAMHMT Property LLC that still requires court approval.
- The concept calls for 450 homes: 170 traditional townhomes, 226 stacked townhomes and 54 affordable flats.
- A total of 68 units, or 15% of the development, would be set aside as affordable housing.
- The settlement still requires court approval, with a fairness hearing scheduled for Oct. 2.
Plans Show What 450-Home Route 35 Development Could Look Like
The concept plan divides the residential development into three primary housing types. It shows 170 traditional townhomes and 226 stacked townhomes, along with 54 affordable flats located within two 27-unit buildings.
Those 450 homes would be accompanied by internal roads, sidewalks, parking, amenity areas and green-infrastructure stormwater facilities.
The plans also identify wetlands and wetland-transition areas. An approximately 64,000-square-foot area near Kings Highway East is labeled as a proposed preservation area.
At least 67,500 square feet of amenity space is contemplated under the redevelopment standards, according to the settlement documents.
The newly released architectural exhibits give residents a visual representation of how the different housing types could appear if the project eventually moves forward.
The renderings, however, are conceptual. The settlement documents state that the development has not been fully engineered, and the concept plan itself is marked “FOR SETTLEMENT PURPOSES ONLY.”
Settlement Requires 68 Affordable Housing Units
Under the amended redevelopment standards, 15% of the proposed 450 homes would be designated as affordable housing. That requirement translates to 68 affordable units.
The settlement also establishes standards covering building heights, setbacks, parking, landscaping and buffering for the former Circus Liquors property.
Those standards provide the framework for a potential development rather than final site-plan approval. The property remains part of Middletown’s adopted Circus Liquors redevelopment area, where township records include earlier redevelopment plans and amendments. (Middletown NJ)
The proposed project stems from a builder’s remedy dispute involving the Route 35 property. AAMHMT Property LLC and Middletown have reached a settlement that would resolve that litigation if the court approves it.
Court Hearing Set for October 2
The next major step is a fairness hearing scheduled for Oct. 2, when the court is expected to consider whether the settlement should be approved.
Even if the settlement receives court approval, the conceptual drawings are not the same as final construction approval. Additional municipal review and contemplated Planning Board proceedings would still follow.
Middletown has made its redevelopment documents available publicly, giving residents an opportunity to examine the proposed layout and architectural concepts before the hearing.
The property has been designated for redevelopment for years, and township records list both an adopted Circus Liquors Redevelopment Plan and a subsequent amended plan. (Middletown NJ)
The proposal calls for 450 homes.
The concept includes 170 traditional townhomes, 226 stacked townhomes and 54 affordable flats, along with roads, parking, amenities and open space.
Sixty-eight homes would be designated as affordable housing.
The settlement’s redevelopment standards require 15% of the 450-unit project to be set aside as affordable housing.
The released renderings are not final construction plans.
The concept remains tied to a settlement requiring court approval, with a fairness hearing scheduled for Oct. 2 and additional municipal review contemplated afterward.
Middletown has released plans showing a proposed 450-home development with 68 affordable units at the former Circus Liquors property on Route 35.
Sources: Middletown Township redevelopment records, Public Record NJ
