Swedesboro Residential, Commercial Projects Underway
ABOVE: Renderings of the Nyckel Apartments project which will be located on Kings Highway where construction is now taking place. The project will feature two buildings with access locations on different streets. — Courtesy of Park Grove Realty
Multiple projects designed to bring increased housing options, commercial spaces, and downtown parking to the Borough of Swedesboro are moving into the next phase of development, with significant expansion of the community’s current footprint expected to stretch into 2029 and beyond.
Apartments & Shops
Following the purchase of the previously vacant lot between Red Hen and Cheega Funeral Home on Kings Highway in December 2024, work has begun on an initiative to bring a commercial and residential complex to Swedesboro’s downtown area.
Under development through Park Grove Realty, a real estate development and management company headquartered in Rochester, N.Y. and focused on multi-family residential, mixed-use and commercial projects, the project will include 73 one and two bedroom apartments and 6,500 square feet of ground floor retail space. The project will consist of two buildings; one will be located on the street front of Kings Highway and the other will be on the street front of Ashton Avenue.
The residential arm of the project, referenced in project documents as Nyckel Apartments, will provide apartments ranging from 778 square feet to 1,169 square feet, with monthly rents expected to fall between $2,000 and $3,000. According to the project’s website, the residential space will also offer resident amenities including ground floor covered parking, a yoga studio, a roof deck, a 24-hour fitness club, a community lounge, and a pet spa.
The process of finding and securing tenants for the property is anticipated to begin in early 2026.
Referenced in project documents as The Shoppes at Nyckel Apartments, the commercial portion of the project will entail several build-to-suit spaces. According to Park Grove Realty Director of Development, Tim Crilly, the project is currently on schedule and is expected to be completed by June 2026.
Significant sitework for the project has already started, including excavation and preparation for underground utilities. The foundation for the structure is currently being dug, and concrete is anticipated to be poured during the coming weeks.
“This important community development project would not have been possible without the strong support of the [borough] and local stakeholders,” Park Grove Realty Managing Partner Andrew Crossed said. “We are very happy with the progress of construction on our new mixed-use development, Nyckel Apartments, here in Swedesboro.
“We are excited to contribute to the continued expansion of this vibrant and growing community. With its strong local economy and welcoming atmosphere, Swedesboro is the perfect place for both businesses and residents to thrive. Park Grove Realty looks forward to bringing a dynamic new project to the area.”
2nd Street Parking Addition
Running hand-in-hand with the introduction of more housing and commercial opportunities surrounding Kings Highway is an initiative to bring more parking resources to Swedesboro’s downtown area. During the Feb 18. Swedesboro Borough Council meeting, it was announced that the bid solicitation process would begin for the construction of a new municipal parking lot at the site located at 315 and 319 Second Street.
The project will add approximately 30 spots to the area to address parking challenges experienced by visitors to downtown businesses.
According to owner of Kings Highway business Petals and Paints Amy Uricher, the initiative to increase parking availability is happening at the right time, given the influx of downtown visitors expected to come with the Nyckel Apartments project.
“[Parking] is an issue. Customers are always complaining about it,” Uricher said. “If we have more customers that are going to walk the beautiful downtown area and support the businesses, that will be a great thing.”
Once bids for the project are received, they will be evaluated and one will be selected, barring a scenario in which all of the bids are rejected and the process restarts. The parking lot is expected to be completed in late spring or early summer 2025.
“We are focused on finding some ways to increase off-street parking for all of our businesses in the downtown area,” said Swedesboro Mayor Tom Fromm. “It’s something we’ve been trying to do for a while. This will be municipal parking designed as much as humanly possible to support the existing downtown businesses, where we are always having a problem with parking.
“There is no doubt that there will be overflow in some cases. But this is our first success, and we think it’s a good start.”
Courts at Church Run
After several years of efforts to develop property located on Woodstown Road near Swedes Plaza, a new developer is in the process of attempting to resume a project originally slated to add 135 townhouse units, 18 of which would have been affordable housing units, to the area.
According to project documents, the revival of this initiative, under development through Prestige Property Partners, LLC and currently referenced as The Courts at Church Run, will take place in two phases and will deviate from the last attempt to develop the space.
A total of 139 housing units are currently planned. The first phase will entail creation of 43 total housing units, 37 of which will be market rate and six of which will be affordable housing. The second phase of the project will create 96 total units. Eighty-one of them will be market rate units and 15 will be affordable units.
The project is anticipated to run at least four years. In 2026, 25 phase one market rate units are expected to be constructed, along with six affordable units. In 2027, 12 phase one market rate units, 30 phase two market rate units, and six affordable units are planned to be constructed. The remainder of the units will be constructed between 2028 and 2029.
Unlike the most recent development venture for this property, the new project also entails a two-acre commercial parcel. Plans for commercial development alongside residential property are still undecided.
According to a project update provided by developer Jim D’Angelo, land development plans are expected to be submitted to the Borough of Swedesboro in March. The process of obtaining a traffic study is also underway, and permitting approvals from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will be pursued in the coming months.
“[These projects are] changing the dynamic of town pretty significantly,” Fromm said. “But any time we’ve had one of these developments come in, it also brings new energy, new ideas, and a lot of excitement. That’s what we are counting on. And it will help our all of our businesses. There is a desire for more people to come to Swedesboro. It’s an attractive place to live [with a] great school, a great town.”
Water Street Affordable Housing
In March 2024, the Swedesboro Planning and Zoning Board gave final approval to Conifer Realty LLC for the construction of an approximately 80-unit residential affordable housing development on Water Street. Five units are being set aside for homeless veterans.
Conifer Realty is a full-service real estate, property management, and construction company specializing in affordable housing in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
One year since receiving approval for the project, construction loan closing has taken place and approval to start soil remediation has been received, according to a project update provided by Conifer Vice President for Development Rogelio Pine. Site preparation for construction staging and logistics will begin in March. They expect construction completion by late summer/early fall 2026.
The project is expected to make significant strides in satisfying state-mandated affordable housing requirements for Swedesboro, according to Fromm. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) requires affordable housing obligations for each municipality under the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel doctrine and the State’s Fair Housing Act.
Also attached are renderings of the Nyckel Apartments project, provided courtesy of Park Grove Realty. I also included a few photosx of the Nyckel Apartments construction site.
By Caitlin Ware
