Another Chance to Chime in on Downtown Redevelopment
After last week's workshop, NJ Transit is holding two information sessions at the Hoboken Terminal.
After two presentations and a workshop, there will be another chance for Hobokenites to learn more about the Hoboken Rail Yard Redevelopment.
New Jersey Transit is holding two public information sessions on Wednesday at the Hoboken Terminal Waiting Room. The public session is hosted together with LCOR, the development firm hired by NJ Transit.
NJ Transit and the city both proposed plans for the 52 acre downtown site, which includes the Hoboken Terminal. While the two plans have a lot in common, the city and NJ Transit disagree on the density of the development as well as height of the buildings.
If the city's plan gets passed by the city council—after it's reviewed by the Planning Board—NJ Transit will have to conform to the new law.
While the city wants to limit residential buildings at 12 stories, NJ Transit has proposed buildings as high as 26 stories.
In the city's latest plan—which was completed by firm Wallace, Roberts and Todd—the residential population of the area would be 950, an almost 2 percent increase from the existing population. NJ Transit's June plan, showed a 2,100 person population, a more than 4 percent increase from the existing population. (neither compare to the 2008 plan, which included residential population of 7,300, amounting to a 14 percent increase in population.)
Mayor Dawn Zimmer has called the city's plan "economically feasable."
Executive Director of NJ Transit, Jim Weinstein, said that the NJ Transit plan "meets the character test."
NJ Transit/LCOR will be holding the two sessions this Wednesday, at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., in the historic main train waiting room of Hoboken Terminal.
Hobbs
6:35 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
When developers try to sell their plans they often use lots of pretty pictures and make grandiouse promises but when you look into what they really are willing to put into the iorn clad contracts they are asking for alot and giving very little in return.
Councilman Occhipinti of thr CC minority, has reportedly allready accepted campain contributions from a NJT executive and should recuse himself as Peter Cammerano had to do because of his business connections to NJT.
At the last City Council meeting the only two Council minority members to attend Castellano and Occhipinti, imo appeared to be working hard to push the larger more dense NJT proposal, Hmmmm.
Chris
11:36 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Politicising this attempt to redevelop a dilapidated part of the community is unfortunate. Instead of just saying developers don't give back, why not state what will be provided by these two versions and decide. The hyper hyperbole is unhelpful. Better yet, I plan on visiting the presentation and seeing what they saying and planning.
I suggest you do the same.
Hobbs
11:25 am on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Chris,
This is Hoboken every thing is political. :-)
The NJT campaign to promote their plan IS political.
The 52 acres of NJT property should and will be developed, the only question is how.
Hoboken history clearly shows large developers have made large promises of givebacks for massive upzoning and they have not been kept their end of the deal. The total and itemized costs to Hoboken of what is being "given" needs to be clearly defined.
Hoboken then needs to get everything guaranteed in iorn bound contracts before a shovel breaks ground.
The latest NJT proposal like those in the past has lots of pretty pictures and promises but little in the way of givebacks for what they are asking for in return.
I have been to all the presentations by both sides and plan on going to this latest NJT presentation.
green
11:06 am on Thursday, September 20, 2012
With SOM as the architects, I hope they can at least give us something that is respects the character and dignity of Hoboken from an architectural standpoint. Just as Cesar Pell did for Jersey City with 30 Hudson Street, but on a Hoboken scale.