Dear Editor:
Hoboken’s 2010 census numbers should be a point of personal pride for us. During my time as Mayor, we put into place numerous initiatives that spurred the development Hoboken has enjoyed today. Hoboken is the only municipality in Hudson County to experience such a large growth in population, and for this, all the residents of Hoboken should be proud.
When I was elected in 2001, we created the city’s current Master Plan, where numerous projects and developments made Hoboken an attractive location. We created a road map for Hoboken’s future. Buildings such as the Sky Club, the Tea Building, Maxwell Place, the Shipyard, and even the ‘W’ Hotel were all built in the last decade. Hoboken’s local economy took off in ways we couldn’t fathom at the time. Moreover, Hoboken became home to hundreds of thousands of square feet of new Class A office space, in addition to hundreds of new luxury units, as well as affordable housing projects.
Hoboken has become a residential alternative to New York City, a tourist attraction to many, and a nightlife destination for many of our neighboring towns. Hoboken has welcomed roughly 12,000 new people into our community and this is something we can all take pride in.
However, we can’t stop there. With this new population size comes new potential sources of funding and new opportunities for Hoboken. The city is poised to be the cultural, historical, social and economic epicenter of Hudson County. Hoboken needs to seize this opportunity and lead the change over the next ten years. I look forward to another ten years of incredible growth, prosperity, and sustainable living.
Sincerely,
David L. Roberts
Hoboken’s 36th Mayor