“This train station is the central hub, creating a pedestrian-friendly living experience for residents and serving as a tremendous asset for the entire community,” he adds.

Zucker says, “While this has been an extremely long time in coming, I have to commend the folks at NJ Transit for sticking with the program, keeping their word, even when sometimes in the last few years, the market got tough.”

In June, the project’s first housing was completed – two of four planned rental buildings built by AvalonBay Communities, with 200 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Zucker says future development could include the construction of single-family homes.

“Right now, the market is showing more desire for rentals and townhomes,” he says, “so that is what we are building first.”

The train station will be the second train station in Wood-Ridge, but the first on the Bergen Line. (Wood-Ridge station is served the Pascack Valley Line.) Wesmont Station is designed to have a high-level center platform for passenger boarding, and a pedestrian overpass so train riders will not walk across active tracks.

Construction was originally set to begin in 2009, with the station slated to open in 2011. However, environmental concerns and complex construction issues led to the long delay. The tracks that are already in place will need to be moved to create the station, while trains continue to run, Zucker says.

A privacy wall is going to be built between the relocated tracks and some residential homes in the area, he says.