HOBOKEN — The city of Hoboken filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey on Wednesday against the Monarch at Shipyard project, a plan to erect two 11-story residential towers at 15th and Hudson streets near the waterfront, according to a press release from city spokesman Juan Melli.
According to the city’s release, Shipyard Associates entered into a Developer’s Agreement with Hoboken in 1997 for the construction of 1,160 residential units and more. The agreement apparently required that tennis facilities and a walkway be constructed as a key element of the Planning Board approval. The developer is instead seeking to build two 11-story buildings instead of the tennis facilities,, parking, and other amenities, the release claims.
“In the past, developers have often made promises of givebacks to our city that have not been delivered,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “My administration is committed to making the necessary investment in legal costs when agreements are reached and to fully enforce the promises made to our City.”
In addition to the lawsuit, the City has also filed a Request for a Hearing before the Office of Administrative Law to challenge the Waterfront Development Permit recently issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the project. According to the release, the city is challenging the DEP approval because it apparently contradicts the original permit issued in 1997.
The developers of the project, Ironstate, based in Hoboken, have complained that the city is not giving the project enough of a chance. The project has not yet come before the Hoboken Planning Board.
To read past stories on this issue, see links below and watch hudsonreporter.com for updates. -Stephen LaMarca