Another Chance to Chime in on Downtown Redevelopment

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.