Every home has a tale to tell. And at Lafayette Lofts, that story comes with a prologue. Don’t be fooled by the contemporary finishes and smart home features. Because this Lafayette Park apartment complex has a history as rich as the neighborhood in which it sits.
The two buildings that comprise Lafayette Lofts were constructed between the 1880s and 1920s: a historic heavy timber and masonry annex and a landmark four-story steel and concrete structure. First constructed as the Passaic Zinc Works, the complex would later serve as a part of the Whitlock Cordage complex, producing maritime rope for 50 years.
Lafayette Lofts exterior.
Even more remarkably, the cobblestone paths and streets that wind through the Whitlock Cordage complex were once reportedly part of the Underground Railroad network traveled by escaped slaves before the Civil War.
Despite its gorgeous industrial architecture, with 10’-by-17’ Romanesque windows, exposed brick, and concrete, Whitlock Cordage was almost a casualty of urban decline. In 2003 it was slated for demolition, but preservationists came to the rescue.
Open living/dining/kitchen area.
“So little of the industrial matrix of the Lafayette neighborhood has survived,” Jersey City historic preservation specialist, Daniel W. Wrieden said in a brief filed in the court case that saved Whitlock Cordage. “Yet it was a major determinant in the socioeconomic and physical development of the area.”
And so preserved it was, with great care taken to expose, revive, and restore original architectural features like concrete mushroom columns, Carolina pine and steel roof trusses, and industrial concrete ceilings.
Main area with a view to the loft above.
Today, it finds adaptive reuse and a new life as Lafayette Lofts, offering residents a collection of 46 brand new studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments with artist lofts, partial mezzanines, modern lifestyle amenities, and easy access to shopping, dining, and mass transit to NYC.
Residents at Lafayette Lofts can avail themselves of amenities like a rooftop deck overlooking Lafayette Park, a resident gym, an elevator, a trash and compactor room, and parking available for a fee.
Units feature concrete ceilings, brick walls, exposed ductwork, stainless steel appliances by GE, hardwood floors, pendant lights and wall sconces, quartz counters by Porcelanosa, and fixtures by Kohler, as well as central HVAC. Some units even have Manhattan views.
Kitchen detail.
Bathroom
City Views
Lafayette Park.
The developer on the project, Green Property LLC, is family-owned-and-operated, specializing in adaptive reuse, conversion, and historic renovation. They’re also a trusted presence in Hudson County, building here (and in Queens) since the 1980s.
Located at 170 Lafayette Street, Lafayette Lofts is scheduled for occupancy on May 1, with available residences starting at $2,256.
For more information, visit LiveLafayetteLofts.com
Contact Vue Realty’s Tatyana Gabruska at tatyana@vuerealtygroup.com or 646-465-4560, or Louis “Joe” Stingone at 201-401-3698 or joe@vuerealtygroup.com.
Or, call the Vue Realty Group, LLC office at 201-683-8700.
Lafayette Lofts, 170 Lafayette Street, Jersey City.
Bedroom.
Loft access.
Large loft space.
Industrial details.
Loft bed and bath.
