The Hoboken City Council voted 8-0 to introduce ordinances and one resolution pertaining to the redevelopment of southwest Hoboken in a special council meeting last week called by the mayor. (Councilman Michael Russo was absent.) The measures are still up for several other votes before they become law.
After introducing the Southwest Redevelopment Plan, the council referred it to the Hoboken Planning Board for review. Some residents of the fourth ward believe the plan should require additional residential units. The council also introduced an ordinance to authorize an offer for the acquisition of land for park expansion on Block 10, Lots 1-7 and 30-36, presently owned by Academy Bus, based on a $3,975,000 appraisal of the property.
The Planning Board will review the redevelopment measure for consistency with the city’s Master Plan for zoning, and is scheduled to discuss it and issue their recommendations at their May 31 meeting. Then the plan will return to the council for a public hearing and second reading before a vote and final adoption.
New proposed zoning overlay
The plan covers the Southwest Rehabilitation Area, 14 blocks located mostly in Hoboken’s 4th Ward, generally south and west of Paterson Avenue extending to the Jersey City border, which runs approximately along the Hudson Bergen Light rail tracks.
The current industrial zoning in the area allows for offices, vehicle storage, auto services, food processing and related storage and distributive activities, retail, public buildings and uses, such as equipment garages, parking facilities, parks and playgrounds, wireless telecommunications, and manufacturing.
The redevelopment plan would overlay low density mixed use space, office space, neighborhood retail, a hotel, expanded park space, urban manufacturing, and parking with low density mixed use.
In total the redevelopment plan proposes a maximum of 392 residential units, 40 of which will be affordable housing.
The plan breaks down the rehabilitation area into six sub-areas and outlines the total number of residential units, building requirements, and permitted uses in each section.
In addition to the zoning overlay allowing for property owners who voluntarily wish to redevelop their land in the area, the plan also includes the possibility of new access roads in the area. The plan allows for the possible extension of Marshall Street southward connecting to Observer Highway, as well as a possible new road on the west side of the light rail tracks that would connect Paterson Plank Road with Coles Street as recommended in the Hoboken-Jersey City Subregional Connectivity Study.
More parkland?
The city wants to acquire the southern portion of Block 10, almost 1 acre, to expand the Southwest Park now under construction. The redevelopment plan would allow for this further expansion of the Southwest Park to include the northern portion of Block 10.
In February, the council authorized the use of eminent domain to acquire land owned by Academy Bus for the park’s expansion. Academy’s land is bounded by Paterson Avenue, Harrison Street, Observer Highway, and the light rail tracks. Academy has fought the potential eminent domain threat with an ad campaign touting its status as a good neighbor. They have said the property is worth $13 million and that they have offered the city the land if the city will let them redevelop part of their property into high density mixed use buildings.
According to Hoboken resident and Academy Bus’s Vice President of Real Estate David Lehmkuhl, the city has not held any meetings with Academy Bus to discuss the property.
“There have been no meetings at all with the city of Hoboken. They scheduled a meeting for two weeks ago but it was cancelled at the last minute,” he said in an interview last week.
4th Ward input
Fourth Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos, who serves on the southwest redevelopment subcommittee, said overall his constituents are excited about the park and establishing a neighborhood.
Resident Antonio Grana said he believes the redevelopment plan is “a really good step in the right direction.”
He called the park “the glue that holds everything together, that’s the glue, and the park has the potential to be heart of the neighborhood.” But he said in order for that to be the case the city should allow for more residential units, and ensure commercial spaces are near the park.
“There needs to be a major increase in ground floor commercial services at the ground floor. That’s what this neighborhood has missed,” said Grana. “We need to collect those things together and put them around one place and that place is the park. To support those commercial services and not jack up the people driving, you have to have a mixed-use neighborhood, residential density, that puts people [walking] on the street, otherwise you end up with dead commercial spaces and parks.”
Grana said he would also like to see some of Hoboken’s industrial structures preserved as they “remind us of our industrial past… and give an identity to the neighborhood.”
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“We will all suffer if the plan doesn’t propose densities that will incentives property owners.” –Gregory Dell’Aquila
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Local business owner Gregory Dell’Aquila, owner of the Hoboken Business Center located in the redevelopment area, said while he approves of the plan, he believes the city needs to rethink the proposed residential density.
“I’m fearful that the proposed densities in the draft redevelopment plan for the southwest won’t incentivize property owners and potential developers to build what’s being allowed by this new plan,” said Dell’Aquila, who thinks with these low-density units, not enough people will demand services and restaurants. “We will all suffer if the plan doesn’t propose densities that will incentivize property owners.”
Dell’Aquila, who established the Hoboken Business Center in the early 2000, said, “We are on an island in a dessert. We are starving for services like restaurants and things people go to and populate around. There is no reason for people to come to this neighborhood now. “
He compared the area to northwestern Hoboken before the Biergarten was built on 15th Street.
“Pre-Biergarten, no one was going north of the viaduct unless they were getting plumbing supplies or were a bus driver. Post Biergarten, people are everywhere.”
Dell’Aquilla said the viaduct back then is like Paterson Avenue now.
“No one will pass the ‘barricade’,” he said.
Ramos said he is hoping the new residential units will make the neighborhood more vibrant and lively, and said he believes the plan will go through several more iterations and changes before it is approved.
“Ultimately, this is just a first step in the right direction,” said Ramos. “When the plan is finalized, we want to see great architecture that attracts people but won’t compromise the historical integrity of the area. We want it to be a cool, hip spot that people want to go to.”
Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.
