Uptown park design ideas on display at Hoboken City Hall
HOBOKEN – While the city still finalizes designs for 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove (two uptown, soon-to-be park spaces), a studio class of graduate students in the Landscape Architecture program at City College in New York have worked to develop ideas of their own for the area. The designs are on display in the lobby of City Hall (94 Washington St.)
Concurrently, the city has commissioned the professional landscape architect Imbiano Quigley to design the site, and IQ will be presenting multiple concepts to a stakeholders’ committee for a consensus on a final conceptual design.
Professor and Landscape Architect Lee Weintraub worked with members of the stakeholders’ committee to guide the students in their work over the last 10 weeks, according to a city release.Director of Community Development Brandy Forbes and the city’s consultants Remington and Vernick also provided input into the students’ work, according to the release.
Revisions to original plans are underway based on community input regarding connectivity between the parks and new flexibility regarding the height of the proposed recreation field, according to a city release. — Ray Smith
Union City father/Secaucus worker taken from family by immigration
HUDSON COUNTY — After coming to the United States from El Salvador more than 20 years ago, a 51-year-old Union City resident was taken from the warehouse where he works in Secaucus by immigration officials on Dec. 1 and will soon be deported, according to a story on NJ.com.
The man’s wife of 21 years was born in Staten Island, and their three children — 20, 18, and 10 — are United States citizens.
The couple only had one prior run-in with immigration officials before, when the father was detained after he visited his sick mother in El Salvador years ago. His wife took their marriage license to Texas to have him released into her custody.
He is being held at Essex County Jail, and officials have issued a final order of deportation.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement report that 392,862 undocumented immigrants were deported last year. – Gennarose Pope
1,400 people on wait list for new affordable housing complex
HUDSON COUNTY — Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at Horizon Heights, a new 52-unit housing development for special needs and working families that is split in half by the Union City/West New York border at the corner of 49th Street and Broadway.
The $18.7 million development emerged from the collaboration of Regan Development along with the financial assistance of the N.J. Housing Mortgage Finance Agency, the N.J. Dept. of Community Affairs, and the Hudson County Division of Housing and Community Development.
In addition, both the towns of West New York and Union City passed tax agreements which allowed for more affordable rents, and worked together on the complicated logistics of running a building that lies in two municipalities.
Chosen residents moved in this past June after the towns received between 14,000-15,000 inquiries, according to Larry Regan, President of Regan Development. 1,400 remain on the wait list.
“Building affordable housing in Hudson County is not an easy task, but we have had a star-studded team make that happen,” Regan said.
Mayor Felix Roque welcomed the audience to West New York, and then, moving slightly to his right, he welcomed them to Union City.
In reference to the two towns’ heavy need for affordable housing, Roque said, “I know we have less to do more with than most, but we have to do more with less.”
For more on the new development, read this weekend’s edition of the West New York or Union City Reporter at hudsonreporter.com. — Gennarose Pope