Woodrow Wilson Commons Project Enters 3rd Phase

The Christie administration announced the grand opening of the first two phases of the Woodrow Wilson Commons Development in Long Branch and the groundbreaking for the third on Tuesday.

The completed project will consist of 173 housing units in 51 buildings on nearly 14 acres and cost approximately $45.6 million.

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA), an affiliate of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), provided nearly 88 percent of the funding for the project, according to a DCA press release.

The first two phases of construction included 122 apartments and a 2,500-square-foot community building. The third phase will include 51 housing units, 10 of which will be set aside for individuals with physically disabilities or families that have experienced homelessness, according to the release. The third phase units will consist of 10 one-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom units, and 18 three-bedroom units.

During the first three months of lease-up, priority will be given to individuals who registered for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance or who rented an apartment or owned a primary residence that was no longer habitable because of Sandy damage, the release stated.

The Long Branch Housing Authority worked with HMFA and developers Pennrose Properties and Maestro Community Development Corporation to bring the first two phases of the project to fruition.