As Hudson County moves into 2003, there is a bundle of new projects on the horizon. On the waterfront in Hoboken and Jersey City, large residential developments are scheduled to open or begin construction. In other towns like Union City and Secaucus, blighted areas are getting attention in the form of redevelopment plans. Regardless of the lingering economic downturn, Hudson County’s development community promises to remain busy throughout the next 12 months.
Redevelopment in Hoboken, UC and Secaucus
One countywide trend that will continue throughout 2003 is the churning of soil on old blighted or underutilized areas after they have been rezoned for new development. Nearly every city in the county will have one or more redevelopment projects that will be approved or are currently under construction.
A designated "redevelopment site" is one that for whatever reason is not being used to its full potential. The procedure of designation begins with a resolution by the governing body directing the Planning Board to undertake a preliminary investigation to assess the site. A hearing is held at which people who are interested will be afforded an opportunity to express their objections, have them considered, and made part of the public record.
After completing the hearing, the Planning Board makes recommendations to the governing body, who then can adopt a resolution dubbing the area, or any part of it, a redevelopment area.
At that point the governing body changes the city’s zoning to recognize the area as a redevelopment area. This affords them special powers, including the power of eminent domain, which means they can force private property owners to negotiate the sale of their property. The city will then solicit proposals from developers.
In Hoboken, there is a Northwest Redevelopment area that was designated as such in the 1990s. With the anticipated opening of the light rail up Hoboken’s west side, property values have risen in the formerly forgotten area.
One major project there is called Village West. The Planning Board in 2002 approved the construction of 435 new residential units on Monroe Street, of which 19 will be affordable artist work/live loft spaces and 25 more will be affordable housing.
The artist-friendly development is planned to be a six-acre community to be developed by Monroe Center Development (MCD), LLC. If built as planned, the units will take the form of four buildings between 10 and 13 stories. These buildings will also include 37,500 square feet of new office space in addition to the 120,500 square feet of existing office space, 125,950 square feet of retail space, 1,135 parking spaces, 78,000 square feet of public open space, and a privately owned road that will be open to the public.
According to the project’s developer, Dil Hoda, the open space will be pro-arts and could possibly include two fountains, each designed by a local artist. The open space is also slated to include a stage for plays, several grassy sitting areas, removable hammocks, a food kiosk, and several restaurants and cafes, all of which will be fully accessible to the public.
"Hoboken has the potential to continue our smart-growth approach to future development," said Mayor David Roberts Monday. "There are great opportunities to maximize development situations in the Northwest Redevelopment zone, north of the 14th Street Viaduct and along the southern border by the terminal to ensure well planned growth that meets the needs of all of our citizens."
Also in the Northwest Redevelopment Area, Developer Frank Raia has begun construction of a Shop Rite Supermarket on the corner or 11th and Madison streets. Raia has been designated to develop most of the area. Under his plan, the developer will build 432 housing units, approximately 100 of which will be affordable housing, along with new residential parking facilities, and a charter school. Some members of the City Council and community activists have questioned Raia’s diligence, saying that he has taken too long and the city may want to rethink the project. It has even been speculated that Raia may be de-designated or might be shopping around his designation to other developers.
In Union City, there are three proposed redevelopment sites. While no final plans have been made, Union City Mayor Brian Stack held a public meeting in October to field opinions on how the sites should be developed. The first property is the Yardley property, a former soap factory, at the edge of the Jersey City Heights area. The second possible redevelopment project is the Swiss Townhouse property at the corner of 33rd and Hudson Avenue, a site that has been vacant for 15 years. Both of these sites will most likely see residential development, possibly even some sort of high rises or maybe townhouses, according to Stack.
The third property is the bus garage property at the corner of 27th and New York Avenue. Sixty percent of the property is owned by New Jersey Transit, and Union City owns the other 40 percent. Both entities are in discussion as to what exactly will be done with the property. According to Stack, one possibility is a senior citizens’ center.
In Secaucus, in a move that local officials hope will help them keep a handle on dramatic changes to the town over the upcoming decade, the Town of Secaucus, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) and New Jersey Transit will move forward with conceptual plans for a possible redevelopment project for the south side or "back road" section of Secaucus.
On Nov. 25, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission agreed to expend up to $80,000 to allow New Jersey Transit to conduct a Transit Village Study for areas near the Secaucus Transfer Station.
Such a designation – and the increased access to state funding it brings – requires a comprehensive redevelopment plan built around transportation centers, with a mix of new housing, retail space, and office space within a half mile of train stations and bus depots.
The study is scheduled to be completed in the first couple weeks of 2003.
Office buildings
In Jersey City, the LeFrak company will finish work on Newport Office Center VII in 2003. The seventh in a series of business rental spaces built by LeFrak in the Newport section on the waterfront will contain 933,288 square feet of office space.
Nearing completion is the Goldman Sachs building, going up at 30 Hudson St. in Paulus Hook. The 41-story tower, when completed in 2003, will be the tallest building in New Jersey. It will have a total of 1,254,273 square feet of office space, along with 8,500 square feet of retail space. The ultimate number of Goldman Sachs employees that will finally occupy the building is unclear. Recent news reports quoted New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg as stating Goldman Sachs employees would not be making the journey across the Hudson River to Jersey City. However, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson said that an estimated 1,000 employees would be moving to the tower once it is completed.
In Hoboken there are two areas where redevelopment will have an impact in the next year. Construction is well underway on the Southern Waterfront Redevelopment site. The three-phase project already has one phase, a 526-unit apartment complex, complete. The second phase, two 13-story towers with one million square feet, is more than half finished, with publisher John Wiley and Son occupying one. The other tower is scheduled to open in the second half of the year in 2003. The third phase is going to be the city’s only hotel and an office building. In December 2002, the City Council approved the final dimensions of the buildings and it is anticipated that the council will officially name a developer for the site early in 2003.
Residential in JC, Hoboken and WNY
Residential construction will be the strong point of the Jersey City development scene in 2003. Essex Waterfront Development will complete the Liberty View Tower residential complex, located at 33 Hudson St. The residential development will have 648 rental units and a total of 24,000 square feet of retail space. The retail space will be utilized for a number of new upscale businesses which will serve residents, including a restaurant, an upscale deli, and a dry cleaner. Residents’ parking needs will be met with a 777-space lot. The residential complex will have a swimming pool between its two 36-story towers. Dwelling units will face either the Manhattan skyline or the Statue of Liberty.
Garden State Development and Roseland Properties will soon start work on the Marbella Apartments along Washington Boulevard. The 40-story, luxury apartment complex will have 412 units. Studios will be between 800 to 900 square feet, while two-bedroom units will be about 1,200 square-feet. The complex is expected to have a retail space capacity of 5,600 square feet.
A development at the site of the former Majestic Theater is anticipated in 2003. The structure, located on Grove Street across from City Hall, will have 48 rental units and 5,133 square feet of retail space. A total of 31 parking spaces will be provided for the residential development.
Work on the Fulton’s Landing and Hudson Point projects are also expected to finish in 2003. The Hudson Point project will have 181 dwelling units with 196 parking spaces, while Fulton’s Landing will have 105 dwelling units.
In Hoboken, the developers of the old Maxwell House plant have received approvals to build 832 units of condos and apartments in a mixed-use development. The large-scale development is approved to have approximately five acres of fully accessible public open space. While the developers still need state and county approvals, demolition is tentatively scheduled for August.
Mayor David Roberts has said that he is pleased with the current plan but is still in negotiations to possibly designate the site as a redevelopment area, which could result in even fewer units and more open space. It is being developed by Daniel J. Gans and George T. Vallone of the Hoboken Brownstone Company.
In West New York luxury, development continues on the waterfront, funding affordable housing projects inland. Local developer Roseland Properties recently contributed $516,000 to an affordable housing fund.
West New York Mayor Albio Sires said the town has been looking at three properties on which to build more affordable housing.
A new Hoboken Master Plan
In Hoboken, many residents believe that the pace of development is the biggest issue facing the city today. There are some who believe the mile-square city is too quickly becoming "overdeveloped." These concerns have prompted the city to rewrite its master plan for how development should occur over the next 10 to 20 years.
The pledge of a new master plan was one of Mayor David Roberts’ campaign promises during the 2001 election. Recently, the urban planning firm of Abeles Phillips, Preiss & Shapiro Inc. (APPS) signed a $270,000 contract to guide the city through the monumental process of overhauling the Hoboken Master Plan, a process that is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2003. The city has already held a series of public workshop meetings that have dealt with issues such as zoning, open space, traffic, parking and economic development. Most meetings have drawn well over 100 people.
And coming nearby…’Xanadu’?
The Continental Airlines Sports Arena in East Rutherford may move to Newark, leaving the area open for new development.
Out of six proposals, The Westfield Group of Los Angeles, The Mills Corp. of Arlington, Va., with Mack-Cali Realty of Cranford, and Hartz Mountain Industries of Secaucus have submitted proposals. All three would turn the 106-acre site into a center for family entertainment with sports-related attractions and stores.
The Westfield Group has offered a proposal called the "Arena Place," a kind of urban village that would include work and play environments. Under this proposal, the arena would be transformed into a live entertainment center that will anchor the development of an urban village to include restaurants, hotels, offices, retail conference and exhibition facilities as well as a town square.
Hartz Mountain – along with Forest City Ratner of New York – proposed what is called "Expo Park at the Meadowlands." This envisions the redeveloped Continental Arena site as a new hub for the Meadowlands and the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region. The plan would combine a new 500,000 square foot world class convention center with a pedestrian-friendly streetscape to create a new destination for sports, commerce, and recreation.
The Mills Corporation, along with Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, has proposed something called "Xanadu," a visually compelling multiuse attraction that incorporates family entertainment, office, and hotel uses. This facility would work with the existing sports complex to include participatory sports and recreation programs, entertainment, and educational venues, and complementary leisure uses. Envisioned would be indoor skiing, indoor surfing, an extreme skiing park, a minor league ball park, a creative arts studio for kids, an experimental learning play city for kids, a luxury spa, and fine dining.
All three proposals also include office buildings and would cost about $1 billion, while creating about 4 million square feet of new construction. Officials are expected to select a development in the first few weeks of the new year.