Council moves forward on wet weather pump
The Hoboken City Council agreed Wednesday to allow the North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) to design, build, maintain, and operate a pump on city property beneath 11th Street between Hudson Street and Sinatra Drive. NHSA will receive a 99 year lease for the property around the pump at $1 per year.
According to the resolution, the cost of constructing the pump station will be fully covered by state grants. The city has already received an $11.8 million loan for engineering and building the pump along with stormwater management improvements to City Hall.
Once completed, the pump will help drain the northwest neighborhood around Shop-Rite, one of Hoboken’s most flood-prone areas. The NHSA says its final plans for the pump are 70 percent complete. They must be finished by the end of the month.
Mile Square Theatre presents revival of its first production, ‘Cyrano’
The Mile Square Theatre is back with a production of “Cyrano,” the well-loved tale of a genius who lives in shame of his giant nose. MST artistic director Chris O’Connor says “Cyrano” is one of his favorite plays. “I just love the idea of a heroic, swashbuckling character, a soldier who loves language.”
Cyrano was MST’s first production 12 years ago, and Lenard Petit is reprising the eponymous role he played in the original version. In Jo Roets’ adaptation of the classic story of Cyrano de Bergerac, 15 characters are played by three different actors.
As MST’s 2014 Young Audiences production, “Cyrano” will cater to families and young theater aficionados, and the company will hold special shows for school groups on Wednesdays and Thursdays during its run.
“Cyrano” is the second play MST will perform at the Edge Lofts at Fourteenth and Clinton Streets, the temporary space they will use while their permanent home at The Artisan at 1408 Clinton Street is being constructed.
The show will run from Oct. 11 to Oct. 26, Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. On Oct. 26 at 5 p.m., an adjusted performance for children with special needs and their loved ones, sponsored by The Kessler Foundation, is scheduled.
Tickets are $22 for adults and $12 for students/seniors and can be purchased at milesquaretheate.org, or at the door. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended.
Zoning board takes first look at 515-unit development in Western Edge
A proposed development in one of Hoboken’s most scrutinized redevelopment zones came before the Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment for the first time on Tuesday night. Testimony was heard by the property’s owner, architect, and traffic engineer, but a final vote will not be held until November.
Monroe Properties LLC is seeking height, density, and use variances for a 39,710-square foot mixed-use development featuring nine and 10-story towers on Monroe Street between Ninth and Twelfth Streets, just east of the ShopRite. The project features 515 residential units, including 52 affordable units, as well as space for medium-box retail. Some 1.7 acres of the 4-acre property would be devoted to open space, though the northernmost building would preclude the possibility of a green circuit stretching next to the light rail tracks for the entirety of Hoboken’s west side.
The property in question lies within the Western Edge Redevelopment Area, for which the City Council appointed a new planner in May. However, until a Redevelopment Plan is approved, the area will continue to be zoned for industrial use, necessitating the variances.
Representatives from the co-op board of The Doric, which lies directly east of the proposed development on the Palisades Cliff in Union City, were present at the meeting Tuesday, but the proposed development’s architect Dean Marchetto testified that the new buildings would only block the view of the Doric’s basement parking structure.
The zoning board has recently been suspicious of large developments in the Western Edge. In June, they voted down a mixed-used development with two 13-story towers just south of the 14th Street Viaduct on Jefferson Street. At the time, some board members expressed apprehension about approving such a significant deviation from the area’s current zoning. They said the redevelopment process overseen by the Hoboken Planning Board was the more appropriate method for rezoning neighborhoods and green-lighting major projects.
However, in 2012, an 11-story residential tower in the Western Edge was approved by the zoning board, and is expected to be completed next year.
Parents invited to All Schools Open House on Monday
The Hoboken Family Alliance is holding its 10th Annual HFA All Schools Open House for the community on Monday, Oct. 6. The annual forum allows parents to evaluate school options in Hoboken and the surrounding area. HFA has invited representatives from all of the area schools to meet with interested parents from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Parents will have the opportunity to visit all schools in one location and receive valuable information summarizing the various programs – age requirements, tuition (if applicable), registration/application deadlines, and any other questions you may have. School grades will be identified so that parents can focus on what schools make sense for their family’s needs. Last year, over 25 area schools attended, including members from charter and other public schools enabling parents to meet school representatives and get a sense of their educational options.
The event will take place in the Hoboken High School Gym. Attendance is free for members and $10 for non-members
Hoboken named best downtown in northern New Jersey in online poll
Another year, another full-throated acclamation for Hoboken’s groundbreaking urban design. This week, the New Jersey chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NJ) announced that Hoboken has won its People’s Choice Award for best downtown, beating out downtown Jersey City, Montclair Center, and Downtown Morristown in an online poll.
“Hoboken is a great place to live, work, learn, and visit, and we’re honored to be voted the best downtown in Northern New Jersey,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “We thank everyone who voted for Hoboken and invite visitors to shop, dine, stroll our parks, explore our preserved historic architecture, and see why our vibrant community is the fastest growing city in the state.”
In August, APA-NJ named ten finalists for best downtown in northern, central, and southern New Jersey. Hoboken won the northern Jersey category with 36 percent of 7,167 votes cast. Voting was conducted from Aug. 22 to Sept. 26.
“Great places happen because they are planned for and implemented by people who set high marks for themselves and their communities,” said APA-NJ President Charles Latini, Jr., AICP. “The interest in voting reveals this pride.”
The other winners were Asbury Avenue in Ocean City for South Jersey and Downtown Red Bank for Central Jersey.
In recognition of its victory, Hoboken will receive a plaque and be placed on a list of Great Places in New Jersey on the Planning Association website. It will join the South Hoboken Waterfront, which was named a Great Public Space in 2013, and Washington Street, which was named a Great Street in 2010.
Last year, WalkScore.com gave Hoboken a score of 95 out of 100, making it the most walkable city in America. The website rates cities on how easy it is to get around and conduct daily errands without a car.
Wiley commits to Hoboken for at least 15 more years
Publishing company John Wiley & Sons is slated to remain in Hoboken until at least 2033 after renewing its lease on 386,407 square feet of office space at 111 River St., two years before its current 15-year lease was set to expire, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Hoboken had been home to the corporate headquarters of Wiley since 2002. The company was previously located in Manhattan. Wiley is one of the largest corporate tenants in Hoboken along with Pearson and Thomson Reuters.
David Goldstein, the executive vice president at real estate brokerage Savills Studley, told the Wall Street Journal that Wiley “began its search for space five years ahead of the original lease’s expiration in 2017.”
“When you are a major user of space, you have to be ahead of the pack and have to be in a disciplined process in order to capture as many realistic relocation alternatives as possible,” added Goldstein, who represented Wiley.
The proximity of 111 River St. to public transportation was cited as a factor in Wiley’s decision to renew its lease.
Join APA-NJ members for bike tour of Jersey City and Hoboken
A week after Hoboken and Downtown Jersey City came in first and third respectively in an online poll for Best Downtown in North Jersey conducted by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, the organization will hold a 10-mile bike tour of the two areas on Saturday, Oct. 11. The tour will be lead by Ryan Sharp, Hoboken’s principal transportation and parking planner, and Domenick Bauer from the office of Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. It will begin at the Hoboken PATH Terminal at 10:15 a.m. and showcase a wide range of treatments for one- and two-way streets, shared use paths, protected bike lanes, intersections, and signage. The tour will conclude with light snacks in Hoboken. The event is free but spots must be reserved by contacting APA-NJ Northeast Area rep Jessica Giorgianni at jgiorgianni@H2M.com.
Bark in the Park next Saturday to raise money for Hudson County’s animal shelter
Bark in the Park, Liberty Humane Society’s flagship event and largest fundraiser of the year, will be held this coming Saturday, Oct. 11 from noon to 5 p.m. in Hoboken’s Church Square Park. The event is built around a dog friendly Walk-A-Thon, but will also include a festival and fair with over 40 vendors.
You can walk as an individual, or create your own team and recruit people to walk with you. Your supporters can donate directly to LHS from your website, and that money will be credited to your personal or team fundraising page.
All dogs must be on a 6-foot solid leash, up to date on rabies vaccines, and social, or at least comfortable in crowds and with other dogs.
During the event, Liberty Humane Society has planned activities, including an Ask-The-Groomer booth with Jorge Bendersky, Professional Pet Stylist; Doggie costume contests; an Ask-The-Trainer booth by Laura Waddell of K9 Problem Solvers, and more. Liberty Humane Society is the animal shelter for Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne.
The registration fee as a walker is $25; if you’d like to walk with your dog, registration is $35. For more information or to register, go to libertyhumane.org/dogwalk.php or contact jessica@libertyhumane.org.
Hoboken Catholic Academy selling tickets for annual golf outing on Oct. 17
Hoboken Catholic Academy will hold its annual golf outing at Meadows Golf Club in Lincoln Park on Friday Oct. 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. The event of one of the largest fundraisers the parochial school relies on to supplement its funding from tuition every year. For a $150 ticket, participants can enjoy 18 holes of golf along with breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, the outing will hold a 50/50 raffle for prizes, along with special prizes awarded to the best foursome, longest drive and other categories. The event is open to both men and women. Those interested in attending should contact Mike Tennaro at (201) 659-4175 or mtbull0507@hotmail.com in order to receive an application. Meadows Golf Club is located at 79 Two Bridges Road in Lincoln Park.
Campus sexual assault forum in JC
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 95 percent of campus sexual assaults go unreported. A conference in Jersey City on Tuesday will explore what you need to know about the Campus Accountability and Safety Act. The panel of experts will discuss the nature of the continued challenge of sexual assaults on college campuses as well as best practices in complying with the rules that accompany the new campus sexual assault regulation.
It runs this coming Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Mac Mahon Student Center at Saint Peter’s University. The keynote speaker is Robert D. Laurino, first assistant prosecutor, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. There will be several experts as well.
The conference is free and all are welcome to attend.