Mack-Cali announces Harborside 4 project
Mack-Cali unveiled this week its plans to build Harborside 4, a 1.2 million-square-foot office tower located on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City.
“We are pleased with the significant leasing momentum we’re seeing across our portfolio, particularly along the Hudson River Waterfront where occupancy achieved 95 percent,” said Mitchell Rudin, Mack-Cali chief executive officer.
In this release to the press and several advertisements including one in the Wall Street Journal, Rudin said Mack-Cali said they will be undertaking joint venture with real estate developer SJP Properties for the construction of the project, located in the Jersey City waterfront business community near the Exchange Place PATH station as well as the Hudson Bergen Light Rail line.
“We chose SJP, who will be an equity partner in the proposed venture, because Steve Pozycki, the founder, is a master builder with an unmatched record of building iconic structures on time and on budget,” said Michael DeMarco, Mack-Cali’s president. “The project only gets built if we achieve substantial preleasing at our desired rates. We believe tenant demand is there today, as is our ability to finance and add an additional equity partner, if necessary. The Harborside 4 site is an existing parking lot that we own free and clear of debt for over 20 years.”
Arrest warrant issued for husband after wife found dead
An arrest warrant was issued Friday for Steve L. Franklin Jr., age 39, of Jersey City charging him with the alledged murder of his wife, Sineka Davis, 38, also of Jersey City, according to release issued by Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.
On Oct. 27, shortly after 6 p.m. Jersey City Police were dispatched to 120 Manning Ave. in Jersey City on a report of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival, police found an unresponsive female victim with a gunshot wound to her upper torso. The victim was later identified as Davis, age 38, of Jersey City. The victim was pronounced dead at approximately 6:50 p.m. at the scene. On Friday, Oct. 28, the warrant was issued for Franklin.
“Franklin should not be approached. He should be considered armed and dangerous,” the release said. “Anyone with information as to the current whereabouts of Franklin is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit at (201) 915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office official website at http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.
CASA seeks volunteers
Learn how to become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and help foster children find safe and permanent homes. You may attend an information session at the Hudson County Courthouse, 595 Newark Ave. Rm 901 on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. For further information, visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Chiaravalloti introduces bill to allow local regulation of jitneys
Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti has introduced legislation to help enhance the safety of jitney buses traveling on New Jersey roads.
The introduction of the measure follows the recent death of George Gonzalez, an 11-year-old Jersey City boy who was fatally struck by a jitney bus at an intersection. Because local city councils and township committees have no authority to regulate the vehicles, the entities in the best position to prevent and respond to such tragedies in their own communities currently cannot do so, Chiaravalloti noted.
“Local governments know their roads, and they know which jitney lines are causing chaos on their roads. Unfortunately, however, they don’t have the power to change the conditions they know endanger the people they have a duty to protect,” said Chiaravalloti (D-Hudson). “Jitney services are an integral part of the North Jersey transportation network. As is the case with every other transportation service that commuters rely on, our state must act to ensure that jitneys operate in a manner that keeps jitney drivers and passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists safe.”
Under the legislation (A-4323), owners of the vehicles would be required to register the buses with each municipality in which they wish to operate and receive approval to conduct business from each municipality’s governing board.
A violation of the bill’s provisions would carry a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000 for a second violation and $5,000 for a third or subsequent violation.
The bill would augment accountability measures enacted in 2014 under Angelie’s Law, legislation named after 8-month-old Angelie Paredes, who in 2013 was killed by a lamppost struck by a jitney driver who was using his cell phone.
West Side Avenue synagogue to host National Jewish Book Award finalist
Congregation B’nai Jacob will host National Jewish Book Award finalist Maggie Anton on Nov. 5 for a discussion of her new book, “Fifty Shades of Talmud: What the Rabbis Had to Say About You-Know-What.”
Anton’s work “shows readers how forward-thinking the rabbis were on the subject of sex by juxtaposing their centuries old views with popular sayings from recent times.”
An author talk and discussion will start at 11:30 a.m. (following Shabbat morning services) at Congregation B’nai Jacob, 176 West Side Ave., Jersey City. In the evening, A Havdalah party at 7 p.m. will be hosted by Rabbi Aaron Katz in his home. This will be a casual opportunity for the community to ask Maggie Anton questions, enjoy some wine and refreshments, and socialize. RSVP to rabbi for location: rabbiaaron1@gmail.com.
Jersey City has perfect score again in LGBT Equality Index
Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced that Jersey City has once again, for the fourth consecutive year, received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, which measures a city’s commitment to LGBT equality. Jersey City has received a perfect score every year since Mayor Fulop took office.
“What makes Jersey City so special is that it is a diverse, inclusive place, where all residents are welcome in our community regardless of one’s sexual identity or orientation,” said Mayor Fulop. “One of the top priorities of my administration has and will continue to be preserving that sense of inclusion.”
This year, Jersey City was one of only 60 cities nationwide to receive a perfect score in the annual Municipal Equality Index report.
Jersey City received a perfect score on the MEI index for the first time in 2013, the year Mayor Fulop took office, marking a major increase from the previous year’s score of 83. That made Jersey City the only city in New Jersey to receive a perfect score, and one of only 25 nationwide. The city received a perfect score again in 2014. Also in 2014, the financial website Nerdwallet named Jersey City the 8th most LGBT-friendly city in the United States.
NJCU to host 16th Annual Diversity Issues in Higher Ed Conference
The American Conference on Diversity (ACOD), in collaboration with New Jersey City University (NJCU), will hold the 16th Annual Diversity Issues in Higher Education Conference on Friday, Nov. 18. The conference theme is “The Charge to Lead Diversity and Inclusion in a Climate of Globalization.”
This full-day conference is the premier event within the tri-state area addressing critical diversity challenges in academia, the community, and the workplace.
The diversity learning and networking event will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Gilligan Student Union Building on the NJCU Main Campus at 2039 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City. The program will include dynamic speakers and thought-provoking breakout sessions.
The keynote speaker will be Lucida Plummer, vice president of Diversity and Inclusion at Wyndham Worldwide.
Registration for the conference is open to students, alumni, faculty, and staff from colleges and universities; educators; corporate diversity leaders; recruiters; career-advancement professionals; nonprofits organizations; government and community leaders; and the general public.
The cost per registrant, which includes breakfast and lunch, is $65 for the general public and $35 for students (ID required at the door).
Those interested in exhibiting at the event should contact Bari Katz for details at bari@americanconferenceondiversity.org . Visit the conference via social media by using the hashtag #DivHigherEd16.
Haunted Newark Avenue?
The Newark Avenue Pedestrian Mall will have its own Halloween Family Bash on Oct. 31 from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be face-painting, a bouncy house, music, popcorn and candy.
Vendors will include Key Element Learning, Dental Studio of Jersey City, Morlees, Bambino Chef, My Gym Jersey City, Gia Gelato and Cafe, Kiddie Academy of Hamilton Park, Smile Preschool, WORD Jersey City, JCity Realty, LLC, Gymboree Play & Music of Jersey City and Jersey City Pediatric Dentistry.
This event is sponsored by Historic Downtown Special Improvement District and Gymboree Play & Music of Jersey City.
Please contact the HDSID @ info@jcdowntown.org for more information.
Jersey City International Independent Film Festival starts on Nov. 4
The three-day Jersey City International Film Festival will showcase over 38 films, with screenings that include feature films, documentaries, animation, web series, and student films, all featuring talented filmmakers from around the globe. Showcase venues include NJCU’s Skyline Room and the Jersey City Museum (building operated by JCMC-Barnabas Health).
The majority of film screenings will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6, and will include the feature films “STEPS,” filmed on location in Jersey City and executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal, and “Mirror Game,” a Hindi Language Bollywood psychological thriller set in America; documentary short and feature films highlighting cultures in “We Light The Tradition (Italy) and “Dreadlocks Story” (Jamaica/Caribbean); a spotlight collection of international student short films from the Chao Yang University of Technology in Taiwan; and local films featuring life in Jersey City and a workshop on WebTV and music video production.
A full schedule of activities, dates, time and locations can be viewed at http://www.jcitff.org/
Menendez, Booker announce $10M to turn around NJ’s low-performing schools
U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker announced New Jersey has been awarded $9,824,640 from the U.S. Department of Education to help turn around the Garden State’s most chronically-underachieving schools by giving educators the resources they need to strive for excellence.
The Department of Education’s School Improvement Grant Program provides funds to state educational agencies, who distribute competitive subgrants to local schools who have demonstrated the greatest need for the funds. The funds are used to provide the resources needed to raise the achievement levels of lower-performing schools.
States are also given flexibility to develop their own state-determined intervention model that focuses on whole-school reform and is designed to improve student achievement. In schools that have received funds under this program, up to 80 percent of students are from low income families, 28 percent higher than the average school.