Parts of a gazebo on Sinatra Drive and a nearby parking lot began falling into the Hudson River between 2006 and 2007 and have yet to be permanently addressed.
The gazebo pier at Sinatra Park has been roped off for almost two years, and the Stevens parking lot that sits next to the park has been in need of repair for even longer. In fact, in 2006, a car almost slid into the river when a portion of the lot sank.
The city has been seeking funding to fix the gazebo for more than a year, and the Stevens Institute of Technology, which owns the parking lot, says they have been planning to fix the lot for three years, but want to do it correctly so it can be part of the Hudson River waterfront walkway.
Giacchi: Gazebo is ‘eyesore’
The edge of the Sinatra Park gazebo fell into the river in 2007, and the entire attraction has been roped off since then. James Ronga, the city’s new director of environmental services, said last week that the city has been seeking grants and other avenues to fund the repair.
Fred Bado, director of Community Development, is handling the repair project, but was on vacation last week and not available to provide details.
“It’s time we put it on track.” – Nino Giacchi
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Giacchi called the roped-off area “an eyesore” and said the dangerous conditions have been going on for too long.
“It’s time we put it on track,” he said. But with the city’s ongoing budget problems, he said that getting an accurate budget in place was a bigger priority.
Officials said the fact that the gazebo remains roped off was unrelated to a woman who fell into the water nearby around that time and was rescued from the water.
The next to last piece
The Stevens parking lot along Sinatra Drive, called the Riverside Parking Lot, started crumbling in 2006.
Stevens Vice President for Facilities and Community Relations Hank Dobbelaar said last week that a major renovation of the area, allowing it to connect the walkway that begins at the Hoboken Train Terminal and continues further north up Sinatra Drive to Castle Point Park, will be moving forward soon.
By state law, every entity along the Hudson River must add to a continuous waterfront walkway that will ultimately extend from Bayonne to the George Washington Bridge. Some day, residents will be able to walk or bike the entire 18-mile length of the waterfront.
Once Stevens completes its portion near the parking lot, the only property left in Hoboken without waterfront access will be the Union Dry Dock Company, located north of Castle Point Skate Park and south Maxwell Place along Sinatra Drive. Eventually, that property will comply as well.
Dobbelaar said the Institute has finished designs for the renovation of the Riverside Parking Lot, and permits have been secured. They are now ready to enter into a contract with a building company.
Stevens has received grant money from the state and federal government to fund the renovations because the area is part of the walkway. The renovations will cost approximately $2 million.
Dobbelaar said the renovation and walkway extension were not precipitated by the sinking edge of the lot, but have been in the works for three to four years.
“We’re aware of our obligation [to complete the walkway], and we are going to complete that obligation,” Dobbelaar said.
As far as the car that almost fell into the Hudson, Dobbelaar said someone – not a student or faculty member – illegally parked in the lot in 2006 and went into New York City. The car was never actually submerged and received minimal damage. More importantly, Dobbelaar said, no one was hurt.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.