City Introduces Downtown Development Plan
In a public meeting on Thursday night, city officials met with the public to discuss the downtown Hoboken Terminal and Rail.
The city introduced the first preliminary plans for the development of the Hoboken Rail and Terminal during a public meeting at the Rue School on Thursday night.
The city's plan for the roughly 52 acres of downtown land that is owned by New Jersey Transit includes—among other things—development and a new bus terminal. One of the possibilities in the plan is to move the bus terminal closer to the train tracks, said Director of Community Development Brandy Forbes.
The drawings on Thursday night showcased three different designs, varying in density and height of buildings, as well as the way the buildings would be positioned.
Initially the plan was supposed to be developed in two stages. In July, during the first meeting about this project, NJ Transit proposed a re-design of the roughly two acres around the terminal, which would have included a 12-story building. Mayor Dawn Zimmer then said she wanted an interlocal agreement with NJ Transit, to ensure that the entire project would be developed holistically.
Thursday night's proposal was an attempt to do that.
John Leon, NJ Transit spokesman, said that NJ Transit is willing to work with the city but prefers not to enter into an interlocal agreement. One of his concerns, he said, is the density of the proposed plan by the city. NJ Transit may want more development than the city to make the project economically viable, Leon said.
Leon added that "there is some level of concern for re-locating the bus terminal ... our preference is to keep it where it is."
The bus terminal—regardless of its future location—will be rebuilt, Forbes said.
Both the city and NJ Transit aim to finish the plan's designs and get the plan approved by the planning board by February 2012. If all goes according to plan, ground could be broken on the project about 15 months later, Leon said. Construction of the entire project would take at least three years.
"We're encouraged that the process has resumed," Leon said. "We were concerned that there was no activity since July."
Forbes said the city drew up three concepts, from which different parts could be used for the final design. The concepts included buildings of multiple heights, of which the tallest could be 20 stories, Forbes said.
After a final design is completed, the plan will have to be approved by the city council.
After a presentation, Hobokenites as well as officials walked around the room looking at drawings and giving their feedback.
One resident, Phil Cohen, who also sits on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, called the options "interesting."
"I want to bring my kids and parents there and say 'look how beautiful,'" Cohen said about the downtown area, "and right now I can't do that."
Another resident, a physician who works in New York, said he would like to see a market in the area of the terminal where people can buy local produce and other items. Right now, said Miguel Cunha, 31, the downtown area is "bleak."
"The entrances to Hoboken are really ugly," he said. He also said that he'd like to see a better place for taxis to park as they wait for trips.
Redrider765
7:38 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
NJ Transit is a government agency and not a developer. Them maximizing their profit at the expense of the residents of this town is something I do not want to see. Personally I don't care if they make a profit and if they do make a dime of profit, it should certainly not be kept by NJT. They will just flush it down the toilet on their bloated payroll, excessive paychecks and overly generous pensions..
InfotainMe
7:43 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
Don't worry. HQ, Prosbus, and K5 all live downtown. They'll be all over this. Just stand back and watch.
Might have to stand back for a while tho. Get a comfortable chair.
Redrider765
7:52 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
I think he is hiding under some rocks or tires at the muni garage like the cockroach he is. Don't expect to see much opining from him any time soon.
cassandra
10:40 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
Just a historical note. To oldtimers, the term "downtown" referred to the area west of Clinton street. My personal preference is no development - Hoboken is too crowded now. But again, Hoboken is becoming like New York. Guess you can't stop "progress".
I am waiting for the argument that "the development will bring in new income to city hall and reduce taxes." I heard that argument for over 40 years as Hoboken redeveloped and my taxes increased at a rate far higher then the rate of inflation. My taxes are now 2/3 of what I paid for the house. Its all about money for developers, contributions for politicians, and revenue for local businesses.
Redrider765
10:53 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
Your taxes are up b/c of the people you support. You don't like your tax bill then stop voting for people who have family on the payroll. Don't vote for former city or county workers w/ tons of friends on the payroll. Don't vote for people in tax abated affordable housing who contribute nothing in taxes and feel no pain when tax bills rise. Don't vote for people who take shortcuts on maintaining the city's infrastructure and defer costly maintenance projects to hide their overspending and shove those expenses into future periods when the cost to repair things will be far far higher. Don't vote for anyone connected to a developer or supported substantially by developers. Vote for people who the unions dislike, who reduce jobs through layoffs or attrition and who take a firm line on trying to control spending.
Basically, stop voting for and supporting the people you have been supporting b/c they are the ones responsible for your high taxes.
HobokenReformer
10:54 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
Cassandra, you will get no sympathy from me for your high taxes. You have nobody else to blame for these high taxes but yourself and your B&R friends who for decades have elected and supported the criminals who pocketed your money. Wake up and smell the coffee!!!
cassandra
1:15 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Red
Could you please post any of my posts where I have supported a person rather then a policy or idea.? There may be a few but I don't recall them. How do you know who I "support"? I support ideas and proposals not politicians. I attack positions, attitudes and ideas I don't like.
Redrider765
1:57 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
You only post to attack Zimmer and you do so daily. Don't need to see much more than that. Oh, and you repeat the lies of Mason & company. Please continue w/ the talking points. Always enjoyable to see what the LCDs in town are thinking.
cassandra
12:31 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
So why have taxes not come down since my so called "friends" are no longer in power?
Journey
12:51 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Because they have just enough power to act a road blocks at every turn the administration takes.
Hobbs
12:55 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
They have. But Hoboken taxpayers are still paying to clean up the mess from years of mismanagement and corruption of past City Hall Administartions.
Mason, Russo & Co. continued sabotage of Hoboken's finances could lead to layoffs, reduction of services and higer taxes.
Redrider765
1:00 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Hobbs - don't try and discuss the levy vs. the tax rate w/ this person b/c Cassandra is incapable of comprehending that they levy is down at the muni level, flat at the BOE level b/c that is the lowest we can set it at and her friends at the county level keep raising taxes. Just explain to her that we are still paying for every person hired by previous administrations, paying all those salaries approved, benefits granted and contracts awarded, raises granted. And yes, paying to clean up messes like the bad roads, collapsing piers, PD HQ that is falling apart, termite infested offices, etc.... And my favorite, paying a fortune in legal bills to sell a hospital we never should have owned to begin with.
HobokenReformer
1:07 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Cassandra, are you that stupid or are you just pretending to be that stupid? In either case, it's probably not worth continuing this debate with you...
Redrider765
12:51 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
What, you think anyone can take back the raises your friends passed out every time they approved a union contract w/ raises and step-ups that far exceed inflation? Get real.
cassandra
1:09 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Salaries for policeman and fireman back to 2007 are now set by contracts negotiated by Zimmer. See article on yesterday's signing of contract
Redrider765
1:54 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
You are truly dense. The raises and pay scales granted in the past cannot be taken back. All you can do once you have an overpaid cop is make sure future raises aren't as high. No way in hell you can clawback a raise once it is granted in the public sector. YOUR PEOPLE DID THIS
cassandra
1:04 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Their power is quite limited. Can vote down bond issues. Not much else. That is a good thing. Politicians love to "bond/borrow" to avoid the hard issues. Greece, Italy and a dysfunctional Washington attest to that. It was a good thing to sell the hospital to payoff the bond. the administration gets credit for that. but I still dont like the 99 year parking giveaway. The real challenge is to reduce the number of employees and their benefits and reduce the astronomical legal expenses and settlements. The school budget is bloated. I realize that they could not reduce it further this year - but what about the next budget? I voted for Zimmer because she promised lower taxes. Still waiting.
Redrider765
1:56 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
Yeah, they vote down bonding to refinance currently outstanding bonds and invest in capital improvements that we will be using for years. Very stupid. They are blowing up the budget.
And please, no way in hell you voted for Zimmer given your commentary. You hate the woman w/ a passion
Mattaccino
1:09 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
NJ Transit may not use its development powers on any project that is not transit-related. Hoboken should not believe that development at that site is a fait accompli. That is to say unless Paul Sarlo has his way. If you care to know why, look at who got him elected.
Tranist is an instrumentality of the state. They do not own any of the real estate where train and bus stations exist. WE DO! Yes, the bus area needs improvement. Yes, our 3rd world taxi service is a nightmare, but that does not mean out-of-scale towers must go up to correct those problems.
If building enourmous office towers atop train tracks is such a wonderful idea, let them do it in Ridgewood, Scotch Plains and Bernardsville.
Hobbs
2:03 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
If you look at the original mega highrise plans Mayor Roberts was helping push for NJT and where they are now with the Zimmer Administration, Hoboken has already has a better project but still has a long way to go before any agreement is signed.
NJT never discusses their development plans on the other side of the track in Jersey City and we can expect mega (40 plus stories) highrise buildings a few feet from whatever is built in Hoboken and that should also be part of asking for total over all plan.
As for NJT getting people elected we need only to look to the campaign donations given to Councilman Occhipinti. He should recuse himself from anything that has to do with NJT.