Hoboken City Council unanimously authorizes eminent domain use to create bigger park

HOBOKEN- At a roughly five-hour meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Hoboken City council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the city to use eminent domain “if necessary” to acquire land for a proposed and long awaited Southwest Park.
The city would like to use one acre of land that currently sits empty, but is owned by Academy bus. The company has valued the property at $13 million in the past.
The city has used eminent domain in the past to acquire its first acre of land for the 4th Ward park for $4.5 million which the city broke ground on last summer.
Before casting his yes vote to approve of eminent domain as a negotiation tool, Councilman Michael Russo urged the mayor to “take that tool and use it wisely.”