Glassworks Apartments In Cliffwood Now Renting

ABERDEEN, NJ — The Forge at Glassworks, the massive new apartment complex in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen, started leasing phase one, with the first move-ins scheduled for mid-October. Rents start at $1,492 for a one-bedroom and go to $2,479 max for a three-bedroom townhouse. There are no studios. Glassworks is located at the site of the former Anchor Glass bottling plant, which has been shut down and vacant since 1996, leading developers to call that area of Cliffwood "an eyesore."

It will take another three to four years to entirely develop the Glassworks complex, which is a sprawling, ambitious plan for 500 apartments plus retail. Some of those will be for sale, but most will be rentals. There will also be 75,000 square feet of retail space, a 110-room hotel, a movie theater and a two-acre park.

There will be 110 affordable rental units, in a building called The Willows at Glassworks. Glassworks was originally supposed to be even bigger, but an agreement could not be reached on building a new exit off the Garden State Parkway for it. The project's scale was also downsized in the Great Recession.

The complex will feature a pool, fitness center, fire pit, picnic area and grills and even a sauna. The Forge at Glassworks is located on the north side of the Garden State Parkway and is not within walking distance to the Matawan-Aberdeen train station. The developer, Ingerman, tells Patch a shuttle bus is being planned, but it is not yet finalized or available. The pool and other amenities are not yet built and are expected to be done by mid 2018.

There is, however, another apartment complex/transit village being planned for Aberdeen and that will be adjacent to the train station.

Some in Cliffwood complain about the new development, which they say will clog local roads, but Mayor Fred Tagliarini says Aberdeen's redevelopment boon has brought in revenue to stabilize property taxes.

“After years of planning and intense negotiations, the factory is coming down to make way for a beautiful mixed-used community that will give Aberdeen the ‘Main Street’ our residents have long desired and make this dormant property an economically beneficial asset for our town once again,” he said in a statement earlier this year.

Mayor Tagliarini is facing an election challenge this November and what some call overdevelopment in Cliffwood has emerged as one of the main issues in the race. No tax breaks were received for The Forge, but The Willows at Glassworks, the 110-unit affordable housing community (also an Ingerman property), will receive tax credits.

Glassworks will be leasing throughout the fall/winter as more buildings are completed. Here are the rent ranges:

1-Bedroom Apartments: $1,492 - $1,671
2-Bedroom Apartments: $1,811 - $2,057
3-Bedroom Townhouses: $2,188 - $2,479

Ingerman is the developer of the first phase and Lakewood-based Somerset Development is the master developer of the entire complex. Somerset is a well-known name in this part of Monmouth County: They're the same developer behind the Bell Works complex in Holmdel.

“The Glassworks is an opportunity to create something great from what has become a burden and eyesore for the township of Aberdeen,” said Ralph Zucker, president of Somerset Development, in an article about the project in NJ Biz.

Pictured above is David Holden, the principal developer for Ingerman at left and Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini at right. If you are interested in living there, learn more here: http://livetheforge.com/

Above and below: How Glassworks will look once all the buildings, plus the park and hotel, are completed.

Photos provided to Patch by Ingerman