Over 21 Hispanic countries were represented in the parade in 2022. Photos courtesy of North Bergen.
Bergenline Avenue was host to a massive Hispanic State Parade on Sunday, October 16. The event was postponed from two weeks earlier.
The parade is one of the many ways that North Bergen and the other North Hudson municipalities celebrate Latin culture and history during Hispanic Heritage Month.
This year was the 47th Hispanic State Parade of New Jersey, having been a tradition since at least 1976.
On that sunny Sunday, thousands of people were estimated to be in attendance. The parade saw participants from across the state represent 21 Hispanic countries.
Crowds thronged both sides of the avenue as dozens of floats and countless dancers, singers, performers, and others passed by.
The parade marched down Bergenline Avenue beginning at 79th Street in North Bergen, proceeding through both Guttenberg and West New York, and culminating at 43rd Street in Union City.
Among the honored guests leading the festivities were North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, Union City Mayor Brian Stack, West New York Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez, and Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner.
From left to right: West New York Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez, Union City Mayor Brian Stack, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco
Also leading the parade were Commissioners Hugo Cabrera, Julio Marenco, and Allen Pascual, Township Administrator Janet Castro, Police Chief Peter Fasilis, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, Assemblypersons Angelica Jimenez and Pedro Mejia, 8th Congressional District candidate Robert Menendez Jr., and many other local and state officials.
After the parade, Sacco said: “Had a wonderful time at the 2022 Hispanic American parade of New Jersey. North Bergen and Hudson County is so diverse and we are proud to celebrate all of the nationalities and cultures that make us who we are!”
A helicopter performed a flyover of the parade.
“It was an incredible honor to march in this year’s Hispanic State Parade as the Hombre del Año,” Menendez added. “The parade spectacularly celebrates our diverse, civically-engaged, and successful Hispanic community in the 8th Congressional District, which I am so proud to be a part of. And I am especially glad that we were able to stand alongside our friends from across the county, Union City, Mayor Stack, North Bergen Mayor Sacco, West New York Mayor Rodriguez, Weehawken Mayor Turner, officials from Guttenberg and their teams and my great friend Assemblyman Mukherji.”
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Thousands of people were estimated to be in attendance for the proud display of different Hispanic cultures.
The surface parking lot off of Park Avenue between 66th Street and 67th Street. Image via Google Maps.
West New York is moving forward with plans for a fourth parking garage in town.
A mailer was sent out by the town in September touting the parking spaces that would be created by the garages. The town had already outlined plans for parking garages on existing parking lots at 51st Street, 54th Street, and 57th Street.
The 51st Street Parking Garage will be eight stories with 495 parking spaces at 51st Street to 52nd Street between Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Avenue. The structure is expected to be fully completed by December of 2022, opening shortly thereafter in January of 2023.
The 57th Street Parking Garage will be three stories and provide 270 parking spaces at the surface lot between 57th Street to 58th Street behind the old Modell’s off of Bergenline Avenue. The town plans to break ground on this garage after the 51st Street garage is open to the public in January of 2023.
The 54th Street Parking Garage is still in the design phase, but will provide 235 parking spaces at the surface lot on the corner of Park Avenue and 54th Street.The town also announced that a new three-story parking garage at the surface lot between 66th Street to 67th Street and Park Avenue is in the design phase that will provide 270 parking spaces.
In total, the town will add 1,000 parking spaces, according to Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez. This includes not only the garages but other parking projects in town.
“Parking has been a challenge for many years in West New York and my administration has been committed to greatly increasing the number of available parking spaces by maximizing our existing spaces in creative new ways, partnering with private entities, and heavily investing in new parking infrastructure,” Rodriguez said in the mailer.
“I am thrilled to announce that when completed, our parking plan will have created over a thousand new parking spaces for residents and visitors of West New York!”
West New York also touted angled parking the town has completed and plans to implement. In December 2021, it completed the transition to angled parking on Broadway from 50th to 52nd Street.
The town is continuing to explore locations where it can transition existing parking into angled parking. West New York already has designs from Park Avenue from 62nd Street to 66th Street, Park Avenue from 52nd Street to 54th Street, Dewey Avenue from 62nd Street to 63rd Street, 60th Street from Broadway to Hudson Avenue, and Hudson Avenue from 50th Street to 59th Street.
The move comes as West New York was already implementing angled parking in town. It also followed calls for more angled parking at the August meeting of the Board of Commissioners by resident Frank Miqueli.
Miqueli is behind a petition seeking for more angled parking in town, also including Anthony Valdes, Anthony DeFino, Doeinne Auriemma, and Vipul Parekh. Both Auriemma and Parekh recently unsuccessfully ran for the school board, and Parekh is a frequent critic of the current administration at Board of Commissioners meetings.
West New York officials failed to respond to Hudson Reporter requests for comment on the matter.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Dr. Brian Beebe, photos courtesy of Bayonne Chapter of Unico National
The Bayonne Chapter of Unico National has named long-time member Dr. Brian Beebe as our 2022 Man of the Year.
It is not often that we are given an opportunity to show our appreciation for those among us who make life a little better by touching the lives around them.
In addition to honoring our Man of the Year, the Bayonne Chapter of UNICO National will also be recognizing the following individuals for their outstanding service to our community: Joe Bolowski, Joseph P. Tagliareni Community Service Award; Rosemarie Martinez, Service Above Self Award and Steve Laszkow, Lifetime Achievement Award.
These prestigious honors will be bestowed upon our recipients at UNICO’s Awards Reception on Saturday, November 19 at the Chandelier Restaurant in Bayonne at six o’clock in the evening.
The Officers and Membership of the Bayonne Chapter of UNICO cordially invite you to express your congratulations to our distinguished honorees by placing an ad in the Souvenir Journal being prepared to accent this festive
evening.
Your donation is tax-deductible and will be remembered by all the officers and members as well as our honorees.
The proceeds of the souvenir journal will be administered by the Bayonne Chapter of UNICO National to help assist the many local charities which UNICO has supported for over 72 years.
The success of this souvenir journal will benefit so many in our community.
Please consider this when deciding on your level of support. For event tickets, sponsorship information or journal ads, please call Brian DellaBella at 973-493-7303.
NRIA is a major redeveloper in the area, involved with projects including The Grand at 508 51 Street in West New York. Image via NRIA.net.
The president and a top officer of the Secaucus-based real estate investment company National Realty Investment Advisors LLC (NRIA) have been charged for their roles in a scheme to defraud more than 2,000 investors in a $650 million Ponzi scheme, and with conspiring to evade $26 million in tax liabilities, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger has announced.
Thomas Nicholas Salzano, aka “Nicholas Salzano,” a 64-year-old of Secaucus, and Rey E. Grabato II, a 43-year-old of Hoboken and the Republic of the Philippines, are charged in an 18-count indictment unsealed on October 12. Previously, in June the New Jersey Bureau of Securities issued a Summary Cease and Desist Order to NRIA.
Both men are charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Salzano is also charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of tax evasion, and five counts of subscribing to false tax returns.
Salzano was arrested on October 12, and appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre on October 13. Grabato remains at large.
Also on October 13, Arthur S. Scuttaro, a 62-year-old of Nutley, the former head of sales at NRIA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in the same scheme. His sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2023.
‘Fraudulent marketing campaign aimed to hoodwink investors’
Officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) condemned the scheme and applauded the charges.
“As charged in the indictment, these defendants schemed to create a high-pressure, fraudulent marketing campaign to hoodwink investors into believing that their bogus real estate venture generated substantial profits,” Sellinger said.
“In reality, their criminal tactics were straight out of the Ponzi scheme playbook so that they could cheat their investors and line their own pockets. Our message from today’s charges is that we remain deeply committed to rooting out all types of financial fraud schemes. These schemes undermine our markets and erode the public’s trust in investing. Together with our enforcement partners, we will continue to prioritize investigating and prosecuting financial crime in all of its forms.”
“This case should serve as a cautionary tale to the consumer,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Before you entrust your hard-earned savings to someone, do your research on the trustee and the product they are selling; become familiar with the red flags that can alert you to a fraud; don’t let dollar signs cloud your judgement; and remember the old adage that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
“Slick pamphlets, flashy commercials, and ads that feature celebrities do not add up to the most important element – credibility. The FBI works diligently to protect the American public, arrest lawbreakers, and recoup whatever stolen funds haven’t evaporated. The sad fact is the consumer is rarely made whole. Skepticism and analysis are still the best protection.”
“This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions,” Tammy Tomlins, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office, said. “These defendants prioritized their own greed, stealing $650 million from investors, while conspiring to evade $26 million in tax liabilities. The indictment sends a clear message that the IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners, remain vigilant and will vigorously pursue those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.”
Alleged $650 million Ponzi scheme busted by authorities
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Grabato was president of NRIA and Salzano was the firm’s shadow chief executive officer.
From February 2018 through January 2022, Salzano and Grabato defrauded investors and potential investors of NRIA Partners Portfolio Fund I LLC, a real estate fund operated by NRIA, of $650 million through lies, deception, misleading statements, and material omissions.
These included false representations about NRIA’s financial position, how the defendants and their conspirators used fund investor money, and Salzano’s managerial role at NRIA and his history of fraud.
They executed their scheme through an aggressive multi-year, nationwide marketing campaign that involved thousands of emails to investors; advertisements on billboards, television, and radio; and meetings and presentations to investors.
Salzanoled and directed the marketing campaign, which employed deception, material misrepresentations and omissions, and falsified documents to manipulate investors.
The marketing campaign was intended to mislead investors into believing that NRIA was a solvent business that generated significant profits. In reality, NRIA generated little to no profits and operated as a Ponzi scheme, which was kept afloat by new investors.
Despite investing almost none of their own capital into the business, the defendants misappropriated millions of dollars of investor money.
Salzano concealed his true managerial role at NRIA while using Grabato as a stand-in CEO in an effort to avoid scrutiny by investors of Salzano’s prior guilty plea to defrauding small businesses in Louisiana through a large telecommunications company.
Salzano and Grabatoalso orchestrated a separate conspiracy to defraud the IRS in its effort to collect $26 million in outstanding taxes Salzano owed to the U.S. Treasury. Salzano and Grabato are alleged to have lied to the IRS, used a web of nominees, opened bank accounts in the names of phony entities, and used false and fraudulent company documents.
Defendants facing large fines and many years in prison
The conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States counts charged in the indictment both carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud counts are both punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The tax evasion counts both carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The subscribing to false tax return counts each carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The aggravated identity theft counts carry a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
In a separate civil action, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint on October 13 in the District of New Jersey against Salzano, Grabato, Scuttaro, and others based on the allegations underlying the Ponzi scheme alleged in the indictment and information.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Regional Office, for its cooperation and assistance during the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer, of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Lauren E. Repole, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
The man who was struck by an officer in 2017 had sued in federal court over the incident. File photo.
A Jersey City man who was struck by a police officer in 2017 will receive a $925,000 settlement from the city after the City Council approved it to end litigation between the man and the city over the case.
The council unanimously approved the settlement at their Oct. 13 meeting, stating that the Jersey City Insurance Fund Commission will issue a check in that amount to Jonathan Sanders, the man who was hit, in a trust by his attorney, Joel Silberman.
According to the resolution, Sanders had sued Jersey City, the city’s police department, and officers Morton Otundo, Francisco Montero, John Saleh and Albert Bauer in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleging that his civil rights were violated and that he suffered injuries.
The Jersey Journalreported back in May of 2017 that per Silberman, Sanders was punched when police responded to a report of “an aggressive man walking a ‘large’ pit bull without a leash and arguing with pedestrians.”
Video surveillance footage without sound of the incident posted by NJ.com on YouTube shows a six-and-a-half minute video that begins with Sanders conversing with at least three officers before the physical altercation.
At around the 4-minute and 30-second mark of the video, Sanders is seen reaching out to his dog, who is running around him, Otundo and another officer, and then extends his left arm to Otundo’s right shoulder when he is then hit by Otundo and falls onto the floor. Otundo then appears to be pinning Sanders onto the ground in the rest of the video.
Silberman told the Jersey Journal at the time that Sanders suffered fractures on his right eye socket, sinus wall and nose, and had to undergo reconstructive surgery in which a titanium plate was used to restore structural integrity to his eye socket.
“Absent such surgery, Mr. Sanders’ eyeball would have receded into his cheek,” Silberman told the Journal. He then said that “in the absence of such video it is likely that the officers involved would have maintained the version of events contained in their perjure-laden reports.”
A police report written by Otundo, according to the Journal, claims that Sanders was yelling obscenities at him and the other officers, and appeared to be intoxicated. He also claims that he pushed Sanders, and, because of his intoxicated state, fell to the floor and struck his head.
The resolution for the settlement states that “upon conducting a thorough assessment of the file, facts and the relevant law, a jury could plausibly conclude the plaintiff’s civil rights were violated and render a verdict in excess of the amount of the settlement, which would include compensatory damages and counsel fees.”
“Therefore, given the risks, costs and possible outcome associated with trial, Corporation Counsel recommends this settlement be approved,” the resolution concludes.
It is unknown if any disciplinary action was taken against the officers sued in the lawsuit. Otundo died in an off-duty motorcycle accident last year. A Jersey City spokesperson did not respond for comment about the settlement by the time of publication.
“The matter was settled in satisfaction with Mr. Sanders, and he’s happy to bring closure to this matter,” said Silberman in a brief comment to the Hudson Reporter.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
The Jersey City Council at their Oct. 13 meeting at City Hall. Screenshot via City of Jersey City on YouTube.
The Jersey City Council has adopted the creation of a new affordable housing overlay that Jersey City officials say will encourage more affordable housing in the city.
Originally announced back in July, the city said that the overlay would require developments that opt into it to build affordable housing at 10 to 15 percent of the total number of units. In return, developers would be allowed extra density.
The ordinance says developers who request or obtain additional units above the maximum permitted use per acre in the overlay must fulfill “certain community benefits and performance standards for the successful implementation of this overlay and the objectives of the Master Plan.”
All developments in the overlay will be subject to two main tiers: Tier 1 will require developments in low, moderate or middle income census tracts to provide 10 percent affordable housing, while Tier 2 will require those in upper income census tracts to provide 15 percent affordable housing.
Developments that also obtain tax abatements, also known as payment in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) from the city, must also provide 15 percent affordable housing.
At least 20 percent affordable housing will be required from those that get low income housing tax credits and/or tax-exempt bond financing from the New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Agency, funding from the Economic Development Authority Aspire program or similar program, and/or any other similar state support.
During public comment at the Oct. 13 meeting, a number of people, including those from neighborhood associations, were critical of the ordinance, and asked the council to table it instead.
Susannah Karlsson of the Lincoln Park North Neighborhood Association read a statement from more than a dozen other neighborhood organizations, saying that the community had not had an “ample opportunity” to consider the ordinance when it comes to regulating developers.
“In reality, the overlay is a veiled density increase in yet another developer giveaway that threatens to fundamentally change the character of our city’s low-density R-1 neighborhoods, covering more than 30 percent of Jersey City,” read the statement by Karlsson.
The statement argued that the new overlay would remove any limits on density and allow developers to increase the number of units in their projects if they include one or more affordable units.
Resident Barbara Camacho said that the ordinance will “shift the burden to the residents” and argued that it expedites gentrification.
“I understand that we need affordable housing, but we can’t then increase density without control and call it affordable housing,” she said. “Because as you’ve seen, that doesn’t actually result in affordable housing and nothing in this particular ordinance ensures that.”
On the other side, a few public speakers supported the new overlay, with Jimmy Lee of SafeStreetsJC saying that affordability in the city “is a really difficult issue” and that they should treat it like a crisis.
“I really think we need to do something about improving affordability,” he said. “That there are incentives here; this is exactly the trade that we want to make. That someone’s going to make money, but they have to give something back and give something in terms of affordability for the city.”
Planning Division Director Tanya Marione said after public comments ended that the overlay wasn’t about increasing density, but increasing housing variety and housing types.
“What that does is structure the conversation to say ‘This is the box you are allowed to build in. If you would like more density, more housing variety to help us with our housing shortage, our housing affordability, scarcity and crisis, you can do so through expedited review’,” said Marione.
“Every single one of the affordable housing overlay districts in this country have one thing in common: expedited review,” she argued. “Otherwise, it can take anywhere from six months if you’re lucky, to two years to get that project through. I don’t know what else to say. I hate feeling like I’m being in a position of fighting with neighborhood associations.”
Councilman Rich Boggiano said after Marione’s comments that they want the opposite of more density, and argued that “we’re being destroyed in a city with parking, overcrowding, ridiculous buildings being built.”
“All we’re asking is that it be postponed to November the 9th, if we can work everything out,” he said. “That’s all we’re asking for.”
Councilman Frank Gilmore said that while he’s a recipient of affordable housing and that his Bergen-Lafayette-based Ward F may be the “biggest beneficiaries of such,” he asked Marione “What is the harm in more dialogue?” He said, “I think that’s the point where so many people are frustrated and outraged.”
“That they’re not getting a chance to essentially voice their concerns,” he said. “Again, we may not agree on everything, we may ultimately come back with the same thing, but at the very least people[‘s] input was considered.”
Before the final vote, a number of amendments were added to the ordinance on a 7-2 vote, with Boggiano and Gilmore opposed.
Gilmore made an attempt to table the whole ordinance, but it failed 3-6 with Boggiano, Gilmore and Councilman James Solomon voting in favor of tabling it.
Before the final vote, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh called the ordinance “good policy,” and said that he’s seen a number of friends that had to leave the Heights. “There is no way to build inter-generational wealth if you’re putting more than half of your month’s salary into rent,” he said.
Gilmore said developers ”have essentially taken advantage of the way things are in Jersey City.”
“Even though it’s the same structure, the same density and everything I’m looking at, kicking out two families that was residing in this house, making way for one-bedrooms and even when it triggers, it’s a three-bedroom, but nonetheless, you’re losing that family cohesion within an R-1 zone,” he said.
The council ultimately voted 7-2 to adopt the ordinance, with Bogginao and Gilmore voting no.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
Pamela Valdez poses with a perfume as part of content created in partnership with Prada Beauty. Photos courtesy of Valdez.
Pamela Valdez is a lifelong Bayonne resident, born and raised in the city, and a fashion entrepreneur. For as long as she has lived in Bayonne, she has wanted to break into the fashion industry.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do since a young age and since high school,” Valdez said. “I always loved fashion specifically. Then when I saw I could get a degree in fashion business, I realized this is everything I want to do.”
Bayonne born and raised
A Bayonne High School graduate, she now studies fashion business as a junior at the Fashion Institute of Technology. However, she is not just a student, but also an active fashion blogger since she graduated from high school at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I graduated from Bayonne High School in June of 2020, this was still when COVID-19 was still very heavy,” Valdez said. “So I started a blog that month after working on throughout quarantine. It’s called Glamour and Guide. I do interviews on there with other influencers in the industry and business owners.”
Once Valdez hit the ground running with Glamour and Guide, she soon found success with her product reviews, outfit inspirations, video content, dedicated posts, and product photography. A year later, she began her own small business in the city to help others become influencers like her.
“A year after that, I started a social media marketing agency,” Valdez said. “On there, I post opportunities for other people who are into fashion but also want to get into the industry.”
Since founding a social media management agency known as Valdez Agency, she has become not only a student and fashion blogger, but also a small business owner. Starting all that amid COVID-19 may seem daunting, but Valdez has been able to balance her time between these things.
“It was a little stressful, but I’m really good at time management,” Valdez said. “I will do school during the day, and then I’ll come home and I will dedicate a few hours to working on that. On weekends, I will go out with my sister. We’ll shoot content just for the blog or just for my personal social media. Then, throughout the week, I will just post whatever I did throughout the weekend.”
Valdez poses with an iced coffee as part of a partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts.
Content creation on social media platforms
On top of being a student, fashion blogger, and small business owner, Valdez is also a content creator. With a sizeable following on social media, she is a fashion influencer in her own right. Additionally, she is by proxy a model.
While modeling is sometimes part of the gig, Valdez said she is more focused on being a blogger and influencer. However, given the industry, modeling product is something she often does, but is not something she sees herself doing as a day job.
“You do have to show the product, and if it’s a sweater or a pair of shoes, you do essentially have to model,” Valdez said. “I would never do modeling full time, but it is definitely a part of what you have to do.”
According to Valdez, all of her pursuits tie in together being related to fashion and social media. While she plans on pursuing these interests as her full time job someday in the future, after graduation, she wants to begin a career in the fashion industry.
“I would love to do that, but for right now, I am most likely going to be pursuing a job either in public relations for a brand in the fashion industry,” Valdez said. “Or I want to work on the influencer marketing side and then still be able to do this hopefully just for fun on the side.”
Valdez’s passion for fashion, evident in her ventures, is something she wants to keep separated from her career for now. But she does hope to make it her day job as a career one day if she can.
Content created by Valdez for social media as part of a partnership with NARS Cosmetics.
Constant partnerships with big name brands
In the meantime, Valdez continues to study, work hard on her blog and through Valdez Agency, as well as continuing to create content and serving as a fashion influencer. As she flourishes, Valdez continues to forge partnerships with big brand name companies.
“As for the last few months, I’ve actually gotten some really awesome partnerships with Valentino Beauty, Prada Beauty, Giorgio Armani, Urban Outfitters, Revlon, and Amazon,” Valdez said. “Those are definitely some of my favorite ones that I’ve been reached out to through emails to be a part of. They’re so fun to work with them.”
As part of her various partnerships, Valdez will create content with a product from one of the aforementioned companies. In most cases, she works with them to ensure they approve before posting the content with the aim of influencing others to purchase whatever the item in the post may be.
“I’ll get an email from either a PR agency or someone who has a client that is a beauty brand or a fashion brand,” Valdez said. “They will say they found me on TikTok or they found me on Instagram and they want to do content. They want me to give them content in exchange for products. Sometimes they are paid, sometimes they are gifted. They will just mail me the products and say this is what we’re looking to do and what we want to get from you.”
After creating the content, sometimes Valdez needs to run it by the companies to confirm it is what they want. Some companies will request changes, while other times she doesn’t need permission from the company to post the content.
“Before I post it, we’ll go through that process,” Valdez said. “But if not, I usually post whatever I want on my own, if there’s more creative freedom.”
As part of a partnership with Home Depot, Valdez filmed an ad for the company.
Helping others achieve what she has
Given Valdez’s passion and talent for both content creation and fashion, it was only natural that she would open a small business to help others. The Valdez Agency aims to help others interested in becoming like her find their footing in a huge industry and even larger social media platforms.
And Valdez isn’t done expanding her content creation. She plans to continue to increase her social media presence to more platforms in the coming months, seeking to create more detailed content.
“I really want to go on other platforms, maybe YouTube, and eventually start a podcast and go more in depth about everything,” Valdez said. “On TikTok, I feel like everyone is kind of just there for like a short video. But I would definitely love to go on other platforms and go into more detail about everything, and how other people could do it too. Just like more behind the scenes on everything.”
Valdez believes that anyone can work to be like her, with a presence as a fashion blogger and influencer as well as a small business owner. She said that true passion about the field helped her make it and can help others too.
Her advice to others seeking to follow in her footsteps: “Lay out all of your interests and what you want to do. I knew from the beginning that I really love fashion. So I tried a bunch of different things. I did multiple internships to see what I’m most interested in. Then I realized social media was definitely something I enjoyed. After doing those internships and putting myself out there online, and really just going at it without thinking of other’s opinions, I was able to learn so much. I definitely would recommend trying out some internships, see what you’re most comfortable with, and going full force into it.”
Valdez models her outfit as part of her fashion content for social media and her blog.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
An aerial rendering of the existing site looking south, via Google Maps.
North Bergen is considering allowing redevelopment in a large area along Tonnelle Avenue. Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance approving a redevelopment plan for the area at its October 12 meeting after it was introduced in September.
The ordinance authorizes North Bergen to establish a redevelopment plan and designate the township the redevelopment entity for a number of properties on Tonnelle Avenue. The ordinance also amends the zoning ordinance of the township to establish specific development regulations in this area.
Redevelopment plan approved by board
The total redevelopment area is approximately 7.164 acres in the central portion of the township on the western side of Tonnelle Avenue also known as Routes 1 and 9. The area forms a row along the western side of the street between 51st Street to the south and Hudson Bread to the north at 5601-5711 Tonnelle Avenue.
The redevelopment area is bordered within 200 feet on the south by the Tonnelle Avenue Station of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and associated parking lot, and bordered by an active rail yard to the west. To the east, on the other side of the street, there is a gas station, residential dwellings ranging from one and two-family homes to a garden apartment development, heavy commercial and industrial uses, a house of worship, and the historic Hoboken Cemetery. Hudson Bread borders the redevelopment area to the north.
The properties consist of ten parcels of land including: 5401 Tonnelle Avenue; 5409 Tonnelle Avenue; 5419 Tonnelle Avenue; the rear lot of 5419 Tonnelle Avenue; 5013 Tonnelle Avenue; 5117 Tonnelle Avenue; 5211 Tonnelle Avenue; 5319 Tonnelle Avenue; 5501 Tonnelle Avenue; and the rear lot of 5013 Tonnelle Avenue.
On September 6, the Planning Board reviewed the redevelopment plan, recommending it to the Board of Commissioners. This paved the way for the board to introduce the ordinance in September, and held a public hearing and voted on the matter in October, although no township official or member of the public spoke on the topic.
When the ordinance was introduced, Township Administrator Janet Castro said: “This is ten parcels. This ordinance is just designating us as the redevelopment agency and accepting the Planning Board’s recommendations and those land uses. We have not received any formal plans yet.”
Inside the redevelopment area on Tonnelle Avenue
Some of the buildings in the redevelopment area located in the I Industrial Zone are in better condition than others.
5117 Tonnelle Avenue is currently home to a one-story bagel restaurant with seven parking spaces known as 51 Bagel. Constructed in 1967, the building was recently renovated.
5013 Tonnelle Avenue is presently outdoor storage for masonry building materials which are stacked high on pallets. Various forklifts, mid-sized and large trucks, vans, and other miscellaneous vehicles traverse the property, which is devoid of any permanent structures.
5211 Tonnelle Avenue is currently home to a one-story commercial building for the sales and display of masonry, building materials, and related merchandise known as Reuther Material Co. There are several angled parking spaces in front of the building and several rows of parking to the northeast of the building on the site.
5319 Tonnelle Avenue is presently utilized by a building materials company for the indoor and outdoor storage of masonry materials and it was formerly used for the manufacture of concrete block and other products. The property consists of a large materials storage building centrally located, and a collection of attached storage buildings and overhangs at the north of the property. A new small office building is under construction, east of the central storage building.
5419 Tonnelle Avenue is currently a vehicle towing establishment with a one-story building in the front of the property, known as Tumino’s Towing. An auto repair garage is attached to the rear of the office building. A front fence restricts access to the parking area, with several parking spaces in a single row in front of the building.
Some properties better off than others
5401 Tonnelle Avenue presently consists of five small adjoining one-story buildings in the southern property line and a large auto repair building on the western end. A driveway and parked vehicles are located on the northeastern end of the property.
The easternmost building has the design of an old retail building but is utilized for storage of tires, known as Good Deal Tires. The adjacent building is a garage also used for tire storage. The remaining three buildings are also garages with space for one to two vehicles at a time, all leased to individual tenants.
5501 Tonnelle Avenue is currently a centrally located one-story building, an attached metal garage to the west, detached metal garage to the northwest and parking areas to the north and south.
In the north parking lot, the township observed several mid and large sized trucks parking along the north side of the building, and a heap of rubble, garbage, and building materials at the northwest corner of the property. In the south parking lot, school buses, jitney vans, recreational vehicles, mid-sized trucks, truck cabs, and personal vehicles ranging in condition from aesthetically acceptable to damaged were observed.
5013 Tonnelle Avenue is presently a narrow dirt lot used for the parking of trucks, personal vehicles, and shipping containers. There are no permanent structures on the property, with the property having been vacant since June of 2021.
Details of the redevelopment plan
According to the ordinance, the redevelopment plan allows for permitted uses including: multifamily residential; shopping centers; hotels; wholesale business, storage and distribution warehousing; the storage of trucks, buses, passenger and commercial vans, taxis, cabs, and limousines; light manufacturing, employing a process free from objectionable odors, fumes, dust, vibrations, or noise; motor vehicles repair uses; and any uses in existence at the time of the adoption of the redevelopment plan. The redevelopment plan, however, forbids automobile body repair shops.
The redevelopment plan permits buildings up to 60 feet in height above the elevation of Tonnelle Avenue abutting the property for multi-family residential buildings, shopping centers, and hotels. For wholesale, storage, distribution, warehousing, and light manufacturing uses, the maximum building height is 60 feet from above the elevation of Tonnelle Avenue abutting the property, but will not to exceed 75 feet above the average grade surrounding the building.
For storage of trucks, buses, passenger commercial vans, taxis, cabs, and limousines, the maximum building height is 35 feet. For motor vehicle repair uses, the maximum building height is 30 feet. For these uses, the minimum buffer from adjoining residential uses is 25 feet.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
Architectural plans for the residential redevelopment the financial agreement supports.
West New York has approved another financial agreement to support waterfront redevelopment.
Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez and the Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance at their September 28 meeting authorizing the payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement with Toll Parcel H Urban Renewal, LLC.
The site is located at 8 Avenue at Port Imperial, on the eastern side of Port Imperial Boulevard, in the town’s Controlled Waterfront Development Zone. The redevelopment area is currently vacant and surrounded by fencing, with plans for a multi-story residential redevelopment.
Site changed hands from redevelopers many times
Pursuant to the redevelopment plan for the site, Roseland/Port Imperial, LLC and the town entered into a redevelopment agreement in 1996 for the site.
In 1998, the rights and obligations of Roseland/Port Imperial, LLC under the Redevelopment Agreement were assigned to and assumed by Roseland/Port Imperial Partners, L.P., an affiliate of the redeveloper which acquired the title to lands comprising the redevelopment area.
By 2006, the site was owned by K. Hovnanian at Port Imperial Urban Renewal VIII, LLC, which had assumed the outstanding obligations of Roseland/Port Imperial Partners, L.P. under the redevelopment agreement.
On June 7, 2017, Toll Bros., Inc. entered into a contract to acquire the project site and subsequently assigned its interest in the agreement to its affiliate Toll Port Imperial, LLC. West New York consented to the transfer on September 21, 2017, by adopting a resolution authorizing it.
Through an assumption agreement on February 1, 2018, Toll Port Imperial LLC assumed the outstanding obligations of K. Hovnanian at Port Imperial Urban Renewal VIII, LLC under the redevelopment agreement for the site.
On July 8, 2021, the West New York Planning Board granted Toll Port Imperial LLC amended final major site plan approval with variance relief for redevelopment of the project site with an approximately 73-unit residential redevelopment, with 133 off-street parking spaces and eight on-street parking spaces, as well as other amenities and site improvements.
Previously approved as a six-story condominium building back in August of 2018, the applicant was granted permission to construct a 10-story building with the same number of units. The building has a larger footprint at the base that shifts to a smaller shape after the fourth floor, becoming a mid-rise tower.Amenities include a pool, private terraces, a common terrace on the roof, and green roofs, among other unspecified amenity spaces.
The application for the changes was heard in May of 2021 and approved by the board, with a resolution adopted later in July. Through an assumption agreement to be entered into between the parties, Toll Parcel H Urban Renewal, LLC took on the outstanding obligations of its affiliate, Toll Port Imperial, LLC, under the redevelopment agreement for the project site and will redevelop the site consistent with the terms and conditions in the redevelopment agreement and the site plan approval.
Financial agreement necessary to support the project
Toll Parcel H Urban Renewal, LLC has expressed to West New York that the project would not be feasible in its intended scope without financial assistance by the town, according to the ordinance. In order to improve the feasibility of the project, Toll Parcel H Urban Renewal, LLC filed an application with the town for approval of a long term tax exemption and financial agreement from West New York.
According to the ordinance, in addition to the profit limitations in the Long Term Tax Exemption Law, the nature of the project will entail an “inherent profit limitation” for Toll Parcel H Urban Renewal, LLC through the extra costs, issues, and responsibilities associated with the project “that are not present outside of the redevelopment context.” The ordinance states that there is a need recognized by the town to provide incentives to make redevelopment feasible.
After review of the request with the town attorney, redevelopment counsel and the town’s financial advisor, Mayor Rodriguez recommended that the application for the financial agreement be approved. In order to enhance the economic viability of and opportunity for a successful project, the town will enter into a financial agreement with the entity governing payments made to the town in lieu of real estate taxes on the project pursuant to the Long-Term Tax Exemption Law.
The PILOT will be for a 20-year term with an annual service charge based on 12.5 percent of annual gross revenues for years one to five; 13.5 percent for years six to 10; 14.5 percent for years 11 to 15; and 15 percent for years 16 to 20.
According to the ordinance, the town has found that the projected Annual Service Charge over the 20-year term will generate an average annual revenue for West New York of approximately $2,127,295 for the property. The ordinance states that the relative stability and predictability of the Annual Service Charge will make the project more attractive to investors and lenders needed to finance the project.
It is also estimated that the project will create jobs during construction and permanent jobs. According to the ordinance, West New York has determined that the benefits of the project significantly outweigh the costs to the town.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance. While this PILOT is for a portion of the site referred to as “Parcel H,” which consist of the eastern half of the site, this is just Phase 1. Phase 2 entails the redevelopment of the western half of the site known as Parcel F, with a seven-story residential redevelopment.
Officials have failed to respond to multiple requests for comment by the Hudson Reporter since the meeting in September. The next Board of Commissioners meeting is October 19 at 7 p.m. For more information, go to westnewyorknj.org.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
The first building in the city's Bayfront project will be constructed along the Hackensack Riverfront. Photo provided by the City of Jersey City.
The first building in Jersey City’s ambitious Bayfront redevelopment project was unanimously approved by the city’s Planning Board on Oct. 11, bringing a total of 210 units within a six-story mixed-use building.
The building, which had a redevelopment agreement for it approved back in July, will obtain the address of 445 Route 440 and Kellogg St., and will be developed by Bayfront Development Partners, a joint venture between Pennrose and Omni America, at the beginning of 2023, according to the city.
The Bayfront project is the city’s plan to turn a formerly contaminated 100-acre site once owned by the Honeywell Corporation into a mixed-use redevelopment alongside the Hackensack Riverfront.
The building will have 35 percent affordable housing, which will result in 74 affordable units, 12,410 square feet of retail space, 52 parking spaces and 143 bicycle parking spaces.
Civil engineer Joe Mele explained that the building will have the parking garage in the center of the building. The ground floor will have 5,310 square feet of commercial space, along with residential units on all levels.
There will also be two public parking spaces alongside the new Armstrong Ave. north of the building that will be designated for drop-off and pick-up for the day care center.
Architect William Stein then explained that the building will have 35 studios, 109 one-bedrooms, 43 two-bedrooms and 23 three-bedrooms, and that the affordable units will have the same designs as the market-rate units.
The ground floor will have two residential lobbies in the northwest and southeast corners, and the retail spaces will be on Kellogg St. on the south side of the building, which are anticipated to be a credit union and a technical training center.
The second floor of the building will have the daycare center, a landscape amenity terrace and other amenities such as fitness and yoga rooms, a children’s playroom, a co-working space and a community lounge. Floors three to six will then consist mainly of residential units.
The building will include commercial space, a day care center, amenities and a terrace space. Image by Dattner Architects via Jersey City Planning Board application.
The terrace space on the second floor will have walking paths, seating, cooking and grill areas, a fire pit, and other passive recreational elements. Apartments at that level will also have private terraces.
Bayfront Development Partners’ attorney Thomas Leane had Stein confirm that the building will have 32 moderate-income units and 42 low-income units, while the remainder are market rate. They also went more in-depth that 13 studios, 31 one-bedrooms, 15 two-bedrooms and 15 three-bedrooms will be affordable.
Leane also said a parking lot to the east of the building will be undeveloped “for the foreseeable future that is contemplated in the redevelopment agreement,” and that will be a service parking lot maintained by the redevelopment agency.
The commissioners voted 8-0 to approve both the subdivision and final site plans, and a few praised the project for the amount of affordable housing it will provide.
“This is the first time we are having so [much] affordable housing,“ said Commissioner Dr. Vijaya Desai “That’s what we need on all the applications.”
The day after the plans were approved, Mayor Steven Fulop said in a press release that they are “making strides to bring this groundbreaking vision to reality.”
“[…]maximizing the opportunity to build a premier residential and retail waterfront area that best serves the residents of Jersey City by prioritizing affordability, jobs for residents, quality public spaces, and attracting interest and investment to the south and west areas of Jersey City,” he said.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
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