The Hudson County freeholders voted on Feb. 9 on a $25 million capital improvement bond to continue the expansion of Hudson County Community College in the Journal Square area of Jersey City, and to construct a campus in Union City.
This is the first part of a three-year $73 million capital improvement plan that will allow the college to move out of the leased spaces it currently occupies in Jersey City.
Construction of the Union City facility was contingent upon completing an extension of the Bergen-Hudson Light Rail station located near 48th Street in the city. The station is due to open on Feb. 25. The 85,000 square-foot building is being constructed just above the station.
Recently, college officials toured 2 Enos Place and 100 Newkirk St. in Jersey City, properties currently housing county operations, but which will be vacated once the county sets up its central offices at the Block Drug site off Baldwin and Montgomery avenues sometime later this year or early in 2007.
In January, Freeholder William O’Dea asked the freeholders to pass a resolution requiring the community college to keep county and municipal officials informed of their construction progress. The resolution was presented last week to the college, but O’Dea said he initially requested stronger language for it.
“I’ll support this resolution, but I think the resolution I wanted had more teeth,” he said.
O’Dea was concerned that the college had plans for a large parking deck near Enos Place but had not given a presentation to freeholder or municipal officials – and most residents in the area are unaware of the impact that the 400-car facility would have on traffic patterns.
“Residents in the area should be told about what will have an impact on their lives,” O’Dea said.
Secaucus gets refund for Katrina response
In another matter, it was noted that the town of Secaucus received $15,327 from the county as a result of flooding conditions along County Road due to Hurricane Katrina last October. In what local officials called “horrendous flooding conditions,” Secaucus acted to alleviate the situation by hiring Bayonne-based Narcirma Inc. to remove approximately 13 tons of debris that restricted drainage along the roadway normally maintained by the county.
Secaucus officials acted to prevent property damage to residences and businesses along the roadway. As a result, the county agreed to reimburse Secaucus for the cost of remedying the situation.
The freeholders also approved two contracts with Secaucus firms, a $30,000 contract for automobile tires with Custom Bandag Inc. and one for $50,000 with WB Mason for office supplies.
The freeholders voted to confirm the reappointments of Gerald Spike of Guttenberg, Doreen Gynn of Secaucus, and Richard Evans of Hoboken to the Hudson County Ethics Board. Their terms of office will expire Dec. 31, 2010.