Police Chief Philip Zacche joined Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea on a tour of the proposed new police station site at the Marion Gardens Public Housing Complex on July 6. The tour was intended to show what the building looks like and to talk about how the building fits into the city’s plans for the future.
The move came after a weekend in which the city suffered from both a murder and a separate shooting incident, although neither took place in the Marion Gardens projects. The city also announced this week that the police will increase walking patrols (see briefs).
In March, shots were fired at two young teenagers in Marion Gardens, and the Jersey City projects were the site of gang retaliation activity in the past.
July 6 was Zacche’s first visit to the site slated to become the city’s central police headquarters. Many cities, like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have police units that patrol public housing. But the new headquarters will be the first such facility in the state and possibly in the nation to be located in a federal housing project.
“I haven’t been in this building in more than 25 years,” Zacche said, as he looked over the two-story brick building city officials hope to convert over the next few months at the cost of about $1 million.
Zacche, who joined the force in December 1979, has also overseen the juvenile and missing person’s bureau, the narcotics/street crimes unit, and the robbery/auto theft unit.
“I worked this neighborhood as part of the narcotics squad,” he said. “But this is my old neighborhood; I grew up a few blocks from here. I’m a Marion section native.”
Zacche he will move his office to this site if the City Council approves.
“This is a huge benefit not only for the residents of Ward B and Marion Gardens, but for all of Jersey City.” – Mayor Steven Fulop
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“One of the mayor’s mandates is to push our services into other areas of the city, into areas under served,” Shea said. “The west side and public housing in general fits that definition. So when we located these buildings and realized they were under-utilized, it was a bonus that we could get them at one third the cost we’re paying in Journal Square. Moving our people here will help this part of the city.”
He said it was uncertain yet how many employees will be located at the new facility.
“These buildings were unutilized or not used for years,” Fulop said. “Rather than to continue to have them in state of neglect, we wanted to find a way to use them optimally. We think this will be a better use.”
The city can expand the facility
The building has two floors of office space, and a ground floor area for storage and parking.
Leading the tour through the numerous rooms, Fulop promoted the benefits of the move. The building has some of the office furniture from its use as office space for the housing project, including the original workers’ time clock. Many of the rooms are barren but not ill-kept.
In some ways, it was like a trip back in time, through corridors painted in dull gray or green, with rooms from past uses few can recall.
“This space has been used for years,” Fulop said. “Now that we have HUD approval, we are going to make sure the community is comfortable with it. In terms of access, the roads will be through to Route 440 (to the west of the facility) that way not to be disrupting on that front, but still have a visible presence on a daily basis.”
Zacche said all he needed for his office was new paint. In truth, the move will require some investment by the city to allow it to be used by a modern police force.
Save money and help the neighborhood
Fulop proposed the move more than a year ago. But federal red tape kept the city from making the move until now. The city rents out space in Journal Square and is seeking to relocate all the operations from that site to the Marion Gardens building.
“I’m here to take the tour with you,” Zacche joked with the press.
Fulop said the move has a number of benefits to the community. It will provide a 24-hour police presence and create a national model, as the administration continues to bring city services to underserved communities at a significantly reduced cost.
The rent, Fulop said, will be less than half of what is currently paid at the Journal Square and Emergency Management storage facilities.
Fulop said it took a long time to get approval from HUD, but expects smooth sailing if the council approves.
Moving to spread out operations
Fulop toured Marion Gardens with members of the state NAACP and discussed issues of minority recruiting and some of the changing policing strategies. “We happened to mention that we’re doing this today, so they came down here to join us,” Fulop said.
He added, “We’re going to start retro-fitting these buildings immediately following the council vote (on July 15) and the agenda we have is to build this predominantly – as contract laws allow – using minority local contractors. Similar as we did at the HUB.” City work near the shopping district on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City is underway.
Early in June, the city Housing Authority Board of Commissioners (JCHA) approved a 10-year-lease agreement with the city that allows for two five-year renewals, the first such agreement approved. The city will pay the JCHA about $207,000 to use building and parking spaces at Marion Gardens. Currently the city pays $500,000 to lease space at One Journal Square for the police headquarters, and an Office of Emergency Management (OEM) warehouse.
OEM will move its sheltering and other preparedness supplies and equipment such as generators and emergency meals to Marion Gardens as well.
The cost of the new facility will be about $6 per square foot. It will require some work to bring it up to modern standards, such as the construction of an elevator the building does not have.
“We have to make these buildings handicap accessible,” Shea said. “This building was built very strongly, it is an excellent building, and it is in a good location for us, but it needs to be brought up to 2015 standards. We’re not getting this for 2015; we’re getting it for the foreseeable future as the department grows.”
Shea said there about 200 families living in the Marion Gardens complex.
“In a short six months, this space is going to be something to be proud of,” Fulop said. “Once we build this out, we might consider moving our fire headquarters here as well.”
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.