Kingsbury Towers developers give council timeline for renovations, low-rise demolition and possible health‑care partner

Developers and the property management team for Kingsbury Towers told the Trenton City Council they are progressing on apartment renovations in the West Tower, have demolished the site’s low-rise townhomes to free 2.5 acres, and are soliciting interest from healthcare operators to lease nonresidential space in a proposed five‑story building.

In an update allowed by the council, the development team said it acquired the property in late 2024 and immediately began work to make vacant units habitable. The first phase of full apartment renovations is under way on 38 units in the West Tower; the plan is to complete successive 38‑unit batches, finish the West Tower work and then move to the East Tower. The presenters showed photos of fully renovated model units with new windows, electric resident-controlled heating and cooling units, granite countertops, stainless appliances and fully updated plumbing and electrical systems.

The team said demolition of townhomes or low‑rise buildings has already been conducted and will free approximately 2.5 acres that previously contained about 60 units. Concept plans reviewed with council show a consolidated five‑story building to replace the removed townhomes, with one or two elevators, surface parking and an anchor space that developers are marketing to medical‑arts or health‑care operators. The proposed redevelopment would concentrate density, add elevators the townhomes lacked, and create improved pedestrian access and green spaces.

Residents and council members pressed the team on several operational issues. The property manager said the company provides flyers to every door with contact numbers, after‑hours on‑call maintenance and an on‑site relocation specialist; management said an office is located in the West Tower and a relocation specialist is in the East Tower. On elevator reliability, developers said they performed “light capital improvements” to support construction and that elevator service had been substantially improved in recent months; the property manager said they keep one elevator for construction and one for residents during much of the work.

The management team acknowledged a multi‑hour unplanned water outage that extended beyond an earlier planned shutdown; contractors worked overnight to restore service and staff said they were prepared to find hotel rooms should outages require temporary relocations. On safety, the team described a security plan that includes 24/7 armed guards in both towers, more than 200 upgraded exterior and interior cameras monitored off site and on‑site, access control with key fobs for buildings and a rolling door to secure the garage after repairs are complete.

Timing and financing Developers said the concept plan is being used to solicit a health‑care operator; if a partner commits, a state financing vehicle could support a 2026 start. The team said they expect the cleared townhome site to be debris‑free within about six weeks and that, absent a partner, a state competitive financing process would be pursued with a similar target of a 2026 start. They said the design team intends to include play areas and improved outdoor green spaces in the final plan.

Why it matters: Kingsbury Towers houses many Trentonians, including seniors and low‑income residents. The update gave council members and residents a multi‑month timeline for demolition, phased apartment re‑occupancies and a tentative 2026 plan to build replacement housing and nonresidential space — potentially a healthcare tenant that developers say could provide on‑site services for older residents.

Who spoke (selected) - Presenters representing Kingsbury Towers redevelopment (identified in the record as project representatives) - Property manager, Kingsbury Towers (identified in the record as property manager) - John/Duncan (development representatives answering financing/timing questions) - Councilwoman Frisbie, Councilwoman Williams and other council members (questions)

Ending Developers said they would continue scheduled phased renovations, pursue potential health‑care tenants for the cleared 2.5‑acre site and return with more detailed plans and procurement documents when financing is secured. Residents were told how to reach on‑site management for maintenance and relocation questions.