First Look: 96-Unit Mi‑Place Apartment Community

Fernmoor used a May 18 site event in Hillsborough to show local officials and invited guests how far construction has advanced on Mi-Place at Hillsborough, a 96-unit apartment community near Route 206. The Jackson-based developer said the project is about 50% complete and expects to start pre-leasing in mid-summer, with first move-ins targeted for early fall. The development sits on Campus Drive across from Duke Farms and between Bridgewater and Princeton, according to Fernmoor and local coverage. Hillsborough has seen limited new residential construction in recent years, and the project is one of the larger rental additions now moving toward market. ### Where exactly is Mi-Place at Hillsborough being built? Campus Drive is the project’s address corridor, with the site positioned at the township’s northern end near Route 206 and directly across from Duke Farms, according to Fernmoor and MyCentralJersey. The development is being marketed as part of the company’s Mi-Place brand, which the firm has used on other New Jersey rental communities. (tapinto.net) Hillsborough Township’s affordable housing page identifies a settlement agreement tied to construction of 96 units on Block 58, Lot 1.05. That same township page says 23 of those units are designated as affordable housing units, a point that adds a local policy dimension beyond the market-rate apartments highlighted in initial event coverage. ### What did Fernmoor show officials and guests? (tapinto.net) Fernmoor said the May 18 gathering was the first public introduction of the development and included a preview of the site before leasing begins. TAPinto reported that guests assembled outside the future clubhouse and then took a guided walking tour while company representatives outlined construction progress. (hillsboroughnj.gov) Jeffrey Fernbach, Fernmoor’s chief executive, said at the event that central New Jersey communities need more modern rental housing and that development in the area has been limited. Fernmoor also used the event to identify project participants including construction and leasing staff, and a representative from Amboy Bank appeared in event materials published by TAPinto. (tapinto.net) ### How far along is the project? Fernmoor said the buildings are now about 50% complete. MyCentralJersey separately reported on May 20 that the 96-unit complex was halfway built, aligning with the developer’s account at the site preview. Four buildings are planned for the community, according to local reporting syndicated from MyCentralJersey. (tapinto.net) TAPinto said the apartments will include one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, giving the first public outline of the project mix even though pricing and detailed amenity information have not yet been fully released. ### Is this all market-rate housing? Fernmoor’s public event messaging emphasized market-rate rental housing and described the project as an addition to Hillsborough’s local housing supply. But Hillsborough Township’s own affordable housing page says the township and Campus Associates agreed to a plan for 96 units that includes 23 affordable apartments. (article.wn.com) That split matters because early coverage framed the project mainly as a new rental community, while township records show it also intersects with Hillsborough’s affordable-housing obligations. The township page does not list unit mix, income bands or an affirmative marketing schedule in the excerpt surfaced by search results, so those implementation details were not immediately available. (tapinto.net) ### What questions does the project raise locally? MyCentralJersey reported that the new apartments could affect local traffic and township services as residents begin moving in. Hillsborough’s location along Route 206 and the site’s placement near the township’s northern border make traffic one of the more immediate practical issues residents are likely to watch as occupancy begins. (hillsboroughnj.gov) Hillsborough’s planning and zoning framework gives the township’s Planning Board authority over site-plan applications and development review, according to the municipal website. The township has not, in the materials surfaced here, published a new public explainer focused specifically on traffic counts or service impacts tied to Mi-Place’s opening. (mycentraljersey.com) ### What happens next, and when? Mid-summer is Fernmoor’s target for pre-leasing, according to Patch and MyCentralJersey. Early fall is the timetable local coverage gave for the first tenants to move in, while Fernmoor told attendees construction should wrap up by the end of 2026. (hillsboroughnj.gov) Mi-Place at Hillsborough’s next public-facing milestone is likely the leasing launch, when Fernmoor has said pricing, floor plans and amenity details will be released more fully. For Hillsborough residents, the next concrete check points are mid-summer pre-leasing, early fall move-ins and year-end completion of the 96-unit community on Campus Drive. (binje.com) (msn.com)