Jersey City Rising [Archive] - Page 13

hazard1

May 19th, 2009, 01:50 AM

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1242627933192960.xml&coll=3

A (free) car in every (penthouse) garage

Monday, May 18, 2009 By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Canco Lofts in Jersey City is offering a perk its owners hope will rev up sales: A free car with every penthouse purchase. The 500-unit condo

complex on Dey Street put its first 202 units on the market 18 months ago, but so far only 98 have sold. Sales of the penthouse units have been particularly sluggish - only one of 44 have been taken so far, according to Jodi Stasse, Canco's director of marketing and sales.

To help stir interest, through July 30, Canco is offering penthouse buyers a Passion Coupe Smart Car, which retails for around $15,000. The two-story units start at $550,000 for one-bedrooms and go up to $675,000 for the three-bedroom, two-bath units with Manhattan views.

Stasse said most people interested in the penthouses are renters in Manhattan who don't have cars. The complex is a 10-minute walk from the Journal Square PATH train station.

"(But) they realize once they're in New Jersey it would be nice to have a car," even for weekend jaunts down the shore, she said. Stasse said Canco chose the Smart Car because of its eco-friendly reputation. It gets 41 miles to the gallon, she said.

So far, no one has taken advantage of the car offer, which started May 1. But Stasse is hopeful since other than banners on the complex, the deal hasn't been advertised.

This isn't the first time a New Jersey developer has gone down the free-car-with-purchase road.

After the 1989 stock market crash, a Morristown developer offered a Ford Mustang to townhouse buyers and another developer tried a luxury-car-with-McMansion promo, said Ron Simoncini, president of Axiom Communications, a real estate marketing firm.

"I've never heard of anybody actually taking the deal," he said. "But I think they're doing it right in terms of being able to generate a little bit of visibility."

Across the country, developers are offering free cars to drum up business

In Ravenna, Ohio, buyers get a Ford Focus with your $124,000 condo, and in Asheville, N.C., last summer, a Smart Car was thrown in with the purchase of a $2.1 million solar-powered condo.

Last June, Canco negotiated a better tax abatement deal with the city, claiming stalled sales. The new deal reduced payments in lieu of taxes for buyers from 16 percent of gross annual revenue to 10 percent for the first 10 years, 12 percent for the next 10 years and 14 percent for the final 10 years.

JCMAN320

May 21st, 2009, 07:01 PM

Some updates from the jcconstruction.......Liberty Harbor is on too finishing it's first phase...there are rumors to be a beer garden type restaurant there and numerous services and shops are about to open. A new behemoth of a buiding has jumped up and topped out quickly at the corner of Grand & Marin.......Grove St. Bikes has opened up giving Downtown a sorely needed service......Also a new luxury building has popped up on Washington St across from the main post office.

http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-05-04T10%3A29%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5asUt7ex3JM/Sfmwi9In1oI/AAAAAAAACVM/eZxkb9dOJw0/s400/themonticello(1).jpg

From the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency:

"THE MONTICELLO, a new mixed use, mixed income rental development project located on Monticello Avenue on a .96-acre site, THE MONTICELLO will total 225,000 square feet, with 120 rental apartments, 25,000 square feet of retail space that will include a supermarket, and 170 indoor parking spaces. The building will be LEED certified and will include energy star appliances and products. THE MONTICELLO will offer a variety of amenities, including a gym, center courtyard, rooftop garden, concierge and housekeeping service, indoor parking, high-speed internet and a shuttle to and from surrounding commuter hubs. Once a bustling retail location, THE MONTICELLO will rejuvenate that presence with this new development."

http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/

New mixed income affordable housing in townhous form is finishing up in Lafayette replacing projects.....the Whitlock Cordage complex is nearing completion.....new office building for the JCMC.......the Powerhouse is getting set for it's renovation......and luxury buildings on Newark Ave and street scape improvements.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5asUt7ex3JM/SgYFyAxCsMI/AAAAAAAACWs/hlkwzZZfwb8/s400/MarionGreenwayPark.jpg

To build park on old PJP site

Friday, May 08, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Against the backdrop of the Hackensack River and in the shadow of the Pulaski Skyway, Jersey City and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials announced Wednesday that a former federal Superfund site will be transformed into a 32-acre park.

P.A. representatives did not show up empty-handed.

P.A. Deputy Executive Director Susan Bass-Levin said the bi-state agency will kick in $4 million to create the "Marion Greenway Park" on part of the old PJP landfill site.

"We can take this land back and give it back to the people," Bass-Levin said, flanked by city officials, including Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.

The park will include two soccer fields, a quarter-acre extension of the Hackensack River Walkway, an open lawn/fairgrounds, a 1.6 mile-long jogging/walking path, and acres of wildflowers and trees, officials said.

Jersey City plans to purchase the site, which is next to the AMB warehouse site, from its current owner, Edwin Siegel, for $12.4 million. The pricetag for the park is $8 to $10 million and the city plans to pay for it through grants, officials said.

The park, which abuts the busy Route 1/9 truck route, is not currently accessible by public transportation, but will have parking, officials said. There are no immediate plans for a bus route to the site, officials said.

Remediation of the land will begin later this year and the park will be completed by fall 2010, said Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis.

block944

May 21st, 2009, 10:26 PM

OUCH

http://www.sheldongood.com/detail.php?id=1711

http://aristocratcondos.com/

They went for around 75% of listed price. Any thoughts on The Beacon? Great building/unit, terrible location is my impression . . .

JCMAN320

May 29th, 2009, 01:26 AM

Jersey City Mayor Healy wants to put 'illegal' apts on tax rolls

by Amy Sara Clark / The Jersey Journal
Thursday May 28, 2009, 8:47 PM

In Jersey City, thousands of homeowners have illegal apartments tucked away in basements and attics. And if Mayor Jerramiah Healy has his way, he'll make honest landlords out of all of them.

But several persons, including at least one city official, said Healy's idea might be impossible to implement and would flout zoning rules already in a place.

"We'd like to consider an amnesty program to recognize them (the landlords with illegal apartments) and have them increase their tax payments to the city," Healy said during an interview last week. "There are literally thousands (of illegal apartments) out there. It will bring in a significant about of money to the city's coffers."

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill estimated that each illegal apartment that went legit would bring in between $522 and $833 extra money per year to the city due to the increased value of the property.

City Zoning Officer Tony Lambiase estimated that 25 to 30 percent of the buildings in Jersey City have illegal apartments, and perhaps 80 percent of these units could be brought up to code, which would include creating secondary exits in case of fire.

Several persons questioned the practicality of Healy's idea, which the mayor acknowledged needs to be fleshed out.

"I understand the mayor would like to make it legal for the people living in the illegal units, but I don't know how it's done," said city Planning Director Bob Cotter.

Bringing each case before the Zoning Board of Adjustment would overload the system and is arguably illegal, since zoning variances are meant to be granted only rarely, Cotter said.

One option would be to change the city's zoning laws, Cotter said. Most of Jersey City falls under the "R-1" category, which allows one- or two-family homes. Illegal apartments are usually added to two-family houses, Cotter said.

The city could change the R-1 category to allow three-families, but then the city could see a huge influx of new basement apartments, which, Cotter said, would make the population too dense for its infrastructure.

Barbara Petrick, president of the Sergeant Anthony Park Association, agreed. "Higher density is something that can be okay (but only) if it's built for it," she said.

Rebecca Hoffman, president of the Riverview Neighborhood Association, said she didn't think many landlords would take the mayor's offer since under state law, three-family homes are considered "multi-family buildings" requiring a slew of expensive upgrades such as sprinklers and second egresses.

Plus, they'd have to pay more in taxes.

"It's a complicated issue, but I guess the bottom line is I don't think this really addresses the problem," Hoffman said.

The city needs to enforce the current zoning laws and build more affordable housing so people wouldn't need to live in illegal apartments, she said.

New Guy

June 12th, 2009, 01:16 AM

Block944 --

Good info Block944. Terrible is not the right word...but yep, the area needs a little work. I live here. Sheriff's office moved in to the governmental complex on Mill Rd just North of the Beacon. Plenty of cop cars around now for a change. Go by the lot that used to be a mess of broken bottles and 'activity', but no more. Its all lined with cop cars now. Nice change. The park they build across from the center is nice as well compared to what it was 3 years ago.

I had two break-ins due to my proximity to an alley and a bang-bang motel that I wish they would demolish, but the neighborhood is still improving.

Still 75% of value is sad. May be a sign of the times everywhere, not just JC. But...I'm sticking to my guns. I say we are out of this thing in 2 years. JC is way to close to the City to loose marketability, and JSQ where I live is too close to transportation to be undervalued for more than 2 years.

Economy is feeling for a bottom. Housing has not hit one, but it is coming damn close. Banks are not lending like they should but at least they are lending a little. I am not seeing lines across the news like I did in September when it said 'banks stopped lending.' ?????!!!!????

The good news for JC is despite the economic mess we, and the entire world have fallen into, JC 'relatively' is not too bad. Sure, there are many construction projects that stopped or did not get funding once the permits were pulled (one right across the street from me). But many are going forward even IN this mess. Anyone try looking at the Miami skyline of unfinished, deserted construction. The 75% sucks, but this too shall pass. Give me 2 YEARS, thats it, and I will give you a JC rising again.

meesalikeu

June 22nd, 2009, 10:43 AM

here are a couple annotated jersey city photo threads i did this past january:

a 'powerful' jersey city, nj warehouse district thread
http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18230.0.html

the transformed jersey city, nj waterfront
http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18262.0.html

JCMAN320

June 24th, 2009, 12:40 AM

NJ TRANSIT LAUNCHES NEW BRANCH OF JERSEY CITY BUS ROUTE TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICE TO HUDSON COUNTY PLAZA
Bus No. 6 “Lafayette Loop” service begins June 29

June 22, 2009
NJT-09-062

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT will introduce a new branch of the No. 6 Ocean Avenue bus route starting Monday, June 29, to connect more Jersey City residents with the Journal Square area, County government offices and light rail service options.

“Ensuring that my constituents’ public transportation needs are heard and addressed is a top priority, and I appreciate NJ TRANSIT’s responsiveness in helping to meet those needs,” said State Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham. “Last year’s implementation of the No. 6 route was a step toward addressing service gaps left by private carrier decisions, and the new branch will further close the gap for Jersey City residents.”

In February 2008, NJ TRANSIT introduced the No. 6 Ocean Avenue-Journal Square bus route to replace the discontinued Coach USA Bus No. 99, which operated between Greenville and Journal Square.

The new No. 6 branch, called the “Lafayette Loop,” will connect the Lafayette neighborhood and a section of Garfield Avenue with the Journal Square area in Jersey City, addressing a service gap identified in NJ TRANSIT’s Jersey City Bus Study that is currently being completed.

“When the private bus carriers began to drastically cut back their service in Jersey City, NJ TRANSIT was there to help,” said Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith. “Together with Senator Cunningham, County Executive DeGise and Mayor Healy, I am pleased with our results to date as we continue to work with NJ TRANSIT to improve public transportation for our residents.”

“We introduced the No. 6 bus route to help address private carrier cutbacks, and created a new branch to further improve service for Jersey City residents,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles. “We are committed to serving the bus customers who depend on public transportation for their day-to-day needs and appreciate the interest of community leaders in championing robust public transportation for their residents."

“Jersey City has one of the most comprehensive public transportation systems in the county, and the bus lines play a vital role in that network,” said Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise. “This new branch of service will link more Jersey City residents with public transit, enhancing access to county government buildings, community health clinics, light rail service, and PATH and bus connections at Journal Square.”

"We are pleased that NJ TRANSIT has continued to work with the community and with this administration to provide much-needed bus service for our residents,” said Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. “The Lafayette Loop will extend bus service to another Jersey City neighborhood, connecting residents with the greater public transportation network and providing access to employment, school, recreation and medical facilities.”

The new Lafayette Loop service will supplement existing No. 6 service to provide four trips per hour during peak periods and two trips per hour during off-peak periods between Journal Square and “The Junction” area of Jersey City via Hudson County Plaza. It will also connect Hudson County Plaza and Journal Square with two Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stations: Garfield Avenue and Liberty State Park.

The Lafayette Loop will operate in a continuous loop within the Lafayette neighborhood, originating and ending trips at Journal Square between approximately 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays.

For schedules and fares, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.

lofter1

July 23rd, 2009, 10:51 AM

All is not well in Jersey (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/23/2009-07-23_2_new_jersey_mayors_arrested_in_sweeping_money_ laundering_probe.html) ...

2 New Jersey mayors arrested in sweeping money laundering probe

NY Daily News
July 23, 2009

Something stinks in New Jersey.

Two of the Garden State's mayors - from Secaucus and Hoboken - have been arrested in a sweeping federal investigation into an international money laundering scheme.

The suspects, expected to appear in federal court in U.S. District Court in Newark Thursday, include Jersey City's deputy mayor and city council president.

The probe also focuses on rabbis in Brooklyn and New Jersey, according to the The Star Ledger. At least five rabbis are expected to be charged.

Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, Secaucus Mayor Denis Elwell and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Baldini, and Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega were rounded up by the FBI early Thursday.

Authorities said 20 suspects have been arrested and several more were still being sought - primarily in northern New Jersey, a state long known for corruption in politics.

FBI spokeswoman Myrna Williams told The Associated Press the arrests will go on until at least noon. She wasn't more specific ...

© 2009 Daily News, L.P. All rights reserved

Ninjahedge

July 23rd, 2009, 03:12 PM

Camaranno (sp) arrested after being in office 22 days.

He was losing the election by a small margin when the "absentee" vote MIRACULOUSLY saved him by voting for him more than 2 to 1.

He just recently asked the HHA director to resign on SUSPICION of criminal behavior, and now he is in the same seat himself. I really do not think he will be resigning voluntarily either.

I wonder if this is a record! It is a shame, I mean, the Feds cuold have given him a month to scr3w things up in Hoboken before arresting him! What will the neighbors say?

:mad:

ZippyTheChimp

July 24th, 2009, 11:49 AM

A thread concerning the above arrests has been opened here (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?p=291798#post291798).

citybooster

August 30th, 2009, 10:07 PM

Well,where the hell is everyone?Development of course certainly slowed down in this economy,and not seeing potential architectural eyesores like the nondescript Toll Brothers travesty in the PAD or yet another horribly conceived garage monstrosity certainly doesn't make me weepy. (BTW,isn't the selling point especially downtown how close everything is to the light rail and subway...enough with hundreds of more cars,severely limit the number to make for more of the urban paradise the city is trying to sell...congestion will be a nightmare if these developments keep rewarding motorists over commuting and commitment to a greener,environmentally sound transportation situation).

But there's so much to discuss....Applied Development Project(255 Grand Street)adjacent to Gull's Cove is progressing very nicely,with a largely brick facade.The Monaco is starting to take shape rising around four floors now....the Westin recently opened,the walkway connection to Hoboken is about to be opened,we had a terrific,nationally recognized rock event not long ago in All Points West,at Liberty Park....we've got a beautiful golf course the envy of the golf world with striking views now being displayed at the Barclays PGA event at Liberty National.The Beer Garden,alternately revered and reviled opened recently at the Zenith....things look dead now because of the economy but there are still things to talk about that are great for the city,or at least make for great discussion pro,con or lukewarm.It's getting to the point I'm thinking if City Center at Journal Square does start to get off the ground as promised again and again by late this year,nobody here will notice.And wouldn't that rising be a grand symbol of the pride that we in Jersey City have in ourselves and especially our future....the possibilities for that mid size,blue collar industrial little brother to mighty Manhattan and New York City to the East?

kljc

September 5th, 2009, 02:56 PM

Looks like 110 First Street will be awhile before it breaks ground. Sign posted this past week states the following:

Environmental Investigation/Clean up in progress at this site
For further information contact 201-398-4552 or the NJ Dept of Environmental Protection - Office of Community Relations: 609-984-3081

NJDEP P1# 460355

posted on 2 Sept 2009

A neighbor said he saw another sign posted elsewhere in the PAD but I haven't seen it yet.

citybooster

September 5th, 2009, 10:09 PM

My brother and I passed the site on Friday,yep we saw the sign and with the way things go around here,doesn't surprise me.It will be interesting to see what the problem is....also to see how long it is before any new major projects break ground in the area.

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 10:56 PM

To develop plan to turn reservoir into public park

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5asUt7ex3JM/SnMe08UvLAI/AAAAAAAACfY/_hombU-FwXU/s400/large_Reservoir+3.jpg

Friday, July 31, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A plan is on the way for transforming Reservoir No. 3 into a park while preserving its historic structures. A $355,601 contract with the Pennsylvania-based John Milner Associates to produce the plan has been approved by the Jersey City City Council.

As part of the study, the firm will help the city apply to put the unused reservoir on the National Register of Historic Places, which will allow the city to apply for other grants to preserve buildings on the grounds.

Creation of the park - which will include hiking trails and amenities for boating and fishing - could take seven to 10 years and cost about $10 million, says Glenn Wrigley, the city's chief architect.

The study will also provide the city and the volunteer Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance with a report on current site and structural conditions, including site ecology, and will document the history of the reservoir, which was built between 1871 and 1874.

The Alliance fully backs the choice, saying the firm offers the perfect combination of price and experience, said Cynthia Hadjiyannis, the group's treasurer.

John Milner Associates will be working with the Brooklyn-based landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, which has done Hoboken's Pier C and Teardrop parks and New York City's Union Square.

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 11:01 PM

$1M for waterfront walkway, park

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
By DENISE D. GIBSON
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Two Jersey City projects - the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway and a park at the Morris Canal Little Basin - are slated to receive $1 million in federal stimulus money.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine made the announcement last week, saying the money is part of the $19.75 million in federal funding the state's Department of Transportation plans to use for 35 local quality of life, bikeway and pedestrian safety projects.

"These Transportation Enhancement grants will stimulate economic recovery at the local level by improving quality of life and creating jobs," Corzine said.

"In addition, the program complements NJDOT's $50 million increase to aid to counties and municipalities, which will improve locally owned transportation infrastructure and boost the economy."

The grants are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as well as NJDOT's Fiscal 2010 Capital Program.

The goal of the Transportation Enhancement program is to foster more livable communities by enhancing travel, preserving and protecting environmental and cultural resources, and promoting alternative modes of transportation, officials said.

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 11:03 PM

A revitalized powerhouse is on it's way to becoming reality. A whole website devoted to it and the future art district. Check it out!

http://jcpowerhouse.org/

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 11:10 PM

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5asUt7ex3JM/Spf2sokFuKI/AAAAAAAACiI/grm7dScNxps/s400/DSC00393.JPG
Image courtesy of Brooklynfoo and jcconstruction.blogspot.com

The latest Class A office building to be built in JC is new office building for the Jersey City Medical Center. This is huge because it will allow JCMC to expand it's services even further.

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 11:19 PM

213 Newark Ave.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5asUt7ex3JM/SpvijmXFUEI/AAAAAAAACiY/zj-26XfXF8Q/s400/DSC00392.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5asUt7ex3JM/SpvijJQd-2I/AAAAAAAACiQ/xHAoLYI8TG8/s400/DSC00391.JPG
Images courtesy of Brooklynfoo and jcconstruction.blogspot.com

This building is a huge step into the further revitalization of Newark Ave. by filling a big hole in the streetscape. The storefront at the bottom is just finishing up work. This is great for the area and look forward to the new residents and shops. The project is being done by Fields Development.

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 11:21 PM

http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/

Check out the rest of the site for another Newark Ave project; 278 Newark Ave. to be precise, images of San Remo and the Monaco breaching street level, and images of the details of 77 Hudson. Enjoy!!

JCMAN320

September 8th, 2009, 11:30 PM

http://newyorkssixth.com/

Not to be overlooked, Ian has images of the recently opened the long anticipated walkway between Jersey City and Hoboken. The walkway, previously large missing link on the walkway, connects Hoboken Terminal over the Long Slip, to the Newport section of Jersey City.

He has more images of 278 and 213 Newark Ave, pictures of the new park plaza at the corner of Jersey and Newark Aves., info on a new lounge opening up called Port-O Lounge, about the launch of a new website rating the best bars in Jersey City: http://jerseycitybarguide.com/about.php

Keep going further back for more news.

I personally apologize for not being on here in a while updating. My old faithful computer of 11 years finally crashed and took me a while to get the scratch for a new one. Now I got a new top of the line Dell Inspiron Desktop. So I will be back to midseason form.

ianmac47

September 9th, 2009, 12:23 PM

Don't miss Carly's piece in Hoboken Now about how Lefrak seems to be above the law when it comes to the opening of the Waterfront Walkway.

http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2009/09/lefrak_walkway_from_jersey_cit.html

JCMAN320

September 10th, 2009, 02:45 AM

COUNCIL OKs DEVELOPERS' DONOR RULES

Thursday, September 10, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://blog.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/2009/09/large_Pay-to-play-Jersey-City.jpg
Amy Sara Clark / The Jersey Journal
The audience at Jersey City City Hall applauds after the redeveloper anti pay-to-play ordinance passes 8-0-1.

Jersey City's developer pay-to-play ordinance passed last night, 8-0, with Councilwoman Willie Flood abstaining.

The ordinance bars donations from a developer during the three months before they apply for a contract for a particular site, as well as during the period that they are designated as the developer.

Developers who violate the ordinance will be disqualified from engaging in development agreements in Jersey City for four years.

The vote came after more than an hour of public comment.

The original proposed ordinance would have barred developers from making campaign contributions while negotiating to be named the "designated" developer for a project.

But several council members at Tuesday night's caucus thought the ordinance was too vague, leading to the revised ordinance.

The council also removed a clause that specified that citizens could sue developers and candidates who violated the ordinance to compel them to comply.

However, several community activists last night spoke against the amendments.

"I think it's clear that there's overwhelming opposition to watering down pay-to-play," said Aaron Morrill, a founding member of CivicJC, during the public portion of the meeting.

"Any money from developers that taints the city is bad. Do not amend this. Keep it the way the ordinance was originally drafted. Vote for reform, I beg of you."

But many speakers spoke in favor of approving the ordinance. In the end, the council approved the amendments 8-0-1, with Flood abstaining, and then passed the ordinance by the same margin.

Flood said the ordinance "is a step in the right direction" but that she needed more time to look into it.

Afterwards, Councilman Steve Fulop, sponsor of the ordinance, said: "I think it's a big first step. It's not perfect, but we've come a long way."

Dan Levin, who ran for mayor last spring and is also a founder of CivicJC, praised the vote, pointing out that the council "deserved credit for taking the bold step" of passing the ordinance, especially considering that it would impede their own ability to fund-raise during the next election.

"I'm very pleased that the council came together," he said. "While I would have liked to have not seen the amendments, I think it's a substantive step in moving the city ahead."

citybooster

September 11th, 2009, 03:53 AM

Thanks JC Man for coming back in a big way....really appreciate your passion for what's going on for our city's future even during this tough recession.There are still things to be hopeful about and look forward to.

And thanks Ian for helping shine a light on the arrogance that must be stopped by Le Frak....cities should work with developers,not working for them and those in power who never say no to developers have to be held accountable.No more Healys,no more machine politics that put the aggrandizement of the powerful over the interests of communities and neighborhoods stressed to the limit.

When this recession ends,no new projects in the downtown area should be given anything but minimal abatements,if that.Perhaps commercial development,but there is no rational basis to be giving out lavish twenty year abatements to condo and luxury rental developments in that prime area of land....no more huge,ugly,urban congestion enabling multistory parking garages,either.The last thing we need is yet more urban gridlock when we are supposed to be promoting a greener,pedestrian friendly,mass transit emphasis in our downtown community.

ianmac47

September 11th, 2009, 12:06 PM

citybooster

September 11th, 2009, 09:26 PM

I think the bigger problem with the abatement process isn't that they are being issued, but in their duration. 20 years is unnecessary now. 5 or 7 or 10 years is much more reasonable considering the demand.

I think its also interesting to note that while there are fewer projects now than two years ago, there are still several fairly large buildings moving along, albeit slowly, like Grand Street and Monaco towers.For downtown,especially along the waterfront especially.It's more defensible in areas needing rehabilation and development away from the prime location along the Gold Coast....but even then going very long term like twenty or thirty years(City Center project in Journal Square,which is still iffy on when it will ever get going....and The Beacon are prime examples)are really debatable as well.

Love the way the Grand Street tower is developing,and the Monaco is slowly and steadily taking shape.I agree with you,Ian....things may be slow but there's still really interesting stuff going on.

One question....my thoughts on the proliferation of the megastory parking garages...is it incorrect of me to think that they go against the very selling point of downtown living emphasizing smart urban planning?As future development gets going as sooner or later it inevitably will...a few hundred parking spaces here,a few there and downtown will be a pedestrian and aesthetic nightmare.I have nothing against big towers,though I still feel growth must be balanced going high,medium or low to build neighborhoods rather than continue the scattershot,unwieldy patterns we see today how projects get developed.But we cannot keep giving lip service to a more environmentally friendly,aesthetically pleasing urban oasis pedestrian friendly with a mass transit emphasis....but still remain so heavily reliant on automobiles.We are building up for practical reasons,to make the best use of land in a densely populated space.So why then allow so many parking spots for potentially thousands more cars that will be detrimental to the environment and to a great quality of life?

I just can't for the life of me see where it does any good to keep allowing this.

JCMAN320

September 12th, 2009, 05:13 PM

Thanks citybooster for the praise. I do see a lot of positive still with this city and see it emrging ever stronger.

I don't know how I feel about eliminating parking garages all together; they should make them smaller. There is no need for everyone in the building to have parking. However making the car "evil" is not the way to go. No one or city will ever eliminate automobile traffic. To vilify the car is not the way to go, it is to limit it's presence in a high density area. There are going to be people who will always use the car it doesn't matter how much mass transit you put at their door step; it is just going to happen.

I say that instead of every unit having a space, only maybe half or less of the units should have the option of a parking spot.

ianmac47

September 12th, 2009, 08:41 PM

I think most of the current parking garages are a seriously failure of design. There certainly is a need to continue expanding parking as the city grows, but the tumor style garages don't benefit the city at all. Some of the worst offenders are the Trump tower, Grove Pointe, 50 Columbus and Liberty View. Some of the better, though not ideal designs are 77 Hudson and the Gotham. One of the best is Gulls Cove.

Most of Trump's exterior walls, ground to roof line are parking garage. The western end of the building along Washington is ventilation and brick-- nothing is there at all. Grove Pointe's northern facade is again all parking garage, same with 50 Columbus. This makes those streets cold and isolating.

77 Hudson is a slight improvement. Its ground level retail around almost all of the base. But that said, the parking is still very prominent along the upper stories, and this creates a sense of isolation.

It is entirely reasonable to encircle the entirety of a parking garage with a living facade of offices, apartments, and retail, from the ground to roof. This could come from city ordinances or from deals struck during the approval or the abatement process. Also I think if the anti-development movement would channel their energies into encouraging better design rather than a hardline against all new development, there would be some serious improvements in architecture in the city.

citybooster

September 19th, 2009, 12:04 AM

You're welcome JCMan...I'm not advocating eliminating cars and parking,just a sizable reduction.Looking at the future when many of the currently stalled projects will start getting built as inevitably will happen,I was under the impression the city was trying to sell the downtown/waterfront area as being designed with emphasis on mass transit and urban smart,green oriented design.Massive congestion complicated by all the traffic getting out and getting back into the megagarages doesn't seem to make that vision very realistic.I do expect garages and cars to remain as part of the landscape,but it seems the city doesn't know what it wants to make of downtown.

Ian,I agree with you so much about the architectural atrocities these megagarages...huge,imposing,awkward,ugly represent.A lot more ingenuinity and creativity in blending the parking with the residential/amenities of the buildings would go so much to make these buildings something we in Jersey City can take pride in.There aren't that many architectural gems being developed in the first place....those garages make things even more appalling.

I love the Gulls Cove example....the parking is wonderfully blended into the building so it doesn't stand out and distract.Few even try to blend it in as naturally as possible....I dread when the Toll Brothers atrocities are built in the ex-PAD.The designs for the buildings are very underwhelming,especially given the historic character of the area.The garages probably would be worse.

I agree in emphasizing architectural aesthetics,working to see the neighborhood served with beautiful,interesting buildings even if they rise higher than the neighborhood groups like.The way things are going,it's better to engage and be relevant and get some of what you want for the area... than tilt at windmills dreaming the impossible dream of the low density artistic haven that doesn't work with the demographics and needs of the area.And winding up with nothing but a poorly designed,developer dictated building plan.

JCMAN320

September 22nd, 2009, 12:22 AM

Tempers flare as Jersey City officials debate tax abatement policy with critic

By Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal
September 21, 2009, 10:42PM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/jersey-city-abatenent-fulopjpg-f31ddee5922f4c82_large.jpg
Amy Sara Clark / The Jersey Journal
Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop tries to get both sides to calm down and get the discussion to focus on the recommendations put forth in the New Jersey Policy Perspective's report at tonight's City Council caucus. At left is City Councilwoman Viola Richardson.

According to a New Jersey think tank, Jersey City gives out more tax abatements than anywhere else in the state, robbing the city, county and schools of much needed taxes and unfairly burdening residents of non-abated properties with an unfair financial burden.

But administration official, armed with 29 pages of rebuttal, and the Jersey City City Council, got into a hot debate with the report’s co-author, Naomi Mueller Bressler of New Jersey Policy Perspective, at tonight's City Council caucus.

“We believe that tax abatements represent the most powerful economic development tool we have at our disposal,” Mayor Jerramiah Healy wrote in the introduction to the city’s rebuttal.

The NJPP report gave the example of Sugar House, a 65-unit tax-abated condominium. The report says that in 2007, condo owners there paid a total of $695,477, 95 percent of it going to Jersey City. But if they had paid conventional taxes, they would have paid more than twice that — $1,627,108, with $746,477 going to the city.

But Jersey City Business Administrator Brian O’Reilly challenged Bressler’s calculations, wielding their own calculations on four buildings — 101 Hudson, 10 Exchange Place, Cali-Grove Street and Harborside Plaza 2 & 3 — that recently switched from abatements to conventional taxes. He said in those examples, the city received an average of 31 percent less under conventional taxes.

Bressler countered that even in cases where abatements benefited Jersey City, abated properties still shortchanged the county and schools, leaving residents in non-abated properties in Jersey City, as well as taxpayers across the state in the case of the schools, make up the difference.

She also made several recommendations to the city including that the city should grant abatements only in truly blighted areas, open the process of granting abatements to the public, limit the percentage of a municipality’s revenue that can come from tax abatements so that municipalities do not overly rely on this money to balance budgets, limit abatements to 10 years, bar elected officials from granting abatements to developers who have contributed to their campaigns and give county and school districts a greater share of the tax-abatement money.

City officials said in their written response that they have opened the abatement process by opening tax abatement committee meetings to the public and that the developer pay-to-play ordinance, which passed Sept. 9. The response rejected most of the remaining recommendations.

Afterward, downtown resident Mark Smith, who owns a brownstone on Grand Street, said he was disappointed by the response to the presentation. “People who live in luxury waterfront condos pay a fraction of what I pay and I sense there’s an inequality that needs to be addressed,” he said.

But he said it was obvious that the presentation “pushed some buttons” for the council leading to a defensive response. “They addressed minor issues but they didn’t seem to put much thought into the issues in the report,” he said.

Link to reformed pay-to-play ordinance:
http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-8/125256395235870.xml&coll=3

JCMAN320

September 22nd, 2009, 04:11 PM

Hoboken-Jersey City Waterfront Walkway open 24/7

By Jamie Schuh / The Jersey Journal
September 22, 2009, 12:28PM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/hwalkjpg-0c60cb8c49cbd2ef_medium.jpg
Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
Officials and residents of Jersey City and Hoboken walk across the newly-opened waterfront walkway between the two cities

The 175-foot walkway that connects Hoboken and Jersey City along the waterfront had its official ribbon-cutting yesterday and officials announced it will be open 24/7.

Earlier this month, Jamie LeFrak, the managing partner of the LeFrak Organization, builders of Newport in Jersey City, said the Long Slip Pedestrian Bridge and walkway would be closed at 9 p.m. in the summer and by 7 p.m. during the winter.

The LeFrak Organization paid $2 million to build the walkway, while the bridge on the Hoboken side of the Long Slip Canal cost $6.4 million, most of that money coming from federal sources.

But yesterday, Gov. Jon Corzine, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, both of whom live in Hoboken, and other officials, said the walkway will stay open day and night.

"Send out the word, it's open 24/7!" Corzine shouted as he and other officials - including Hoboken acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, D-West New York - led a walking tour of the walkway and bridge.

LeFrak's stated concern with keeping the walkway open at night had been security, believing earlier this month that it was his organization's responsibility since it built the walkway.

But yesterday, LeFrak said local police have taken over responsibility for security on the bridge.

The path connects the Newport development in Jersey City with Hoboken Terminal.

JCMAN320

September 22nd, 2009, 10:58 PM

Jersey City brings new services to the HUB shopping plaza

By Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal
September 22, 2009, 8:39PM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/hub-annex-ribbon-cutting-1jpg-e07eca012d6daa43_large.jpg
Courtesy of the City of Jersey City
From left, Jersey City's Department of Housing, Economic Development & Commerce Director Carl Czaplicki, Councilpersons Michael Sottolano, Peter Brennan and Viola Richardson, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Deputy Mayor Tayari Kabili and Jersey City Redevelopment Agency Director Bob Antonicello, cut the ribbon to open three new city divisions at the MLK Plaza shopping center / HUB, Tuesday, September 22, 2009.

The City of Jersey City brought three new city services to the HUB shopping plaza with a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday morning.

The divisions of Community Development, Tenant/Landlord Relations and Housing Code Enforcement have moved satellite offices into the Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce annex, which is located at 360 Martin Luther King Drive. In addition, a representative from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission will be at the annex on Tuesdays and Thursdays for people to arrange sewer connections.

"People in Ward A and Ward F will not have to go to 30 Montgomery St. and try to find parking," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said at the ceremony. "They can get the services they need in their community."

"I think it says that there's a concern that people are able to access services. It will also bring more people to the HUB. For me its a win-win situation," said Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson who attended the event along with Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano and Councilman at-large Peter Brennan.

The Division of Community Development helps residents and organizations access to such programs as Community Development Block Grants, the Homeowner Rebate Program and the First Time Homebuyers Program. The Division of Tenant/Landlord Relations advises tenants of their rights and mediates tenant-landlord disputes. Tenants can go to the Housing Code Enforcement Division for such issues as heat and hot water problems, abandoned buildings and illegal apartments.

An employee from Tenant/Landlord Relations and Housing Code Enforcement will be at the annex on Mondays and Fridays, Community Development will send a representative on Wednesdays.

JCMAN320

September 23rd, 2009, 02:47 PM

HEALY: NO DEAL
77 Hudson asks to alter abatement

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/77hudsonjpg-9ef87fcb859d4d58_large.jpg
David Jolkovski/Journal File Photo
77 Hudson Street's request for altered tax abatement deal is opposed my Mayor Healy.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy might be sending developers a message: Crystal Point did not set a precedent.

In June, Fisher Development Associates, the builder of the 269-unit condo complex at 2 Second St., came to the city and asked for a better tax abatement deal - and got it.

But K. Hovnanian, owner of 420-unit luxury condo building 77 Hudson, might not be so lucky.

Even though 77 Hudson asked for the identical deal the city gave Crystal Point, Healy shot off a letter to the developer Monday saying the city plans to stand pat with its original 20-year abatement agreement, which guarantees the city payments of 16 percent of the project's gross income per year.

In his letter to 77 Hudson officials, Healy stated "the award or modification of tax abatements is not a matter of right" and the fact that the building is already completed means that the justification for the tax abatement "is absent."

Crystal Point is nearly complete, but Healy says he recommended approval of that building's request because it is "in an area that is clearly more remote than 77 Hudson."

Crystal Point is about three blocks from a Light Rail stop, while 77 Hudson is across the street from one. The buildings are roughly the same distance from the Exchange Place PATH station.

Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop said he doesn't buy the mayor's explanation, saying the rejection was less about location than timing.

"Two months ago, he supported Crystal Point's abatement deal," Fulop said. "I think any reasonable person would say that if he supported the same situation weeks before the arrests and subsequent to that his position changed - it makes one doubt further the legitimacy of the Crystal Point approval."

Several Jersey City municipal employees, including Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini and City Council President Mariano Vega Jr. were arrested July 23 as part of a massive FBI investigation into corruption.

Crystal Point's adjusted tax deal extended the length of the abatement from 20 to 30 years, and reduced the percentage of annual gross revenue paid the city to 11 percent for the first five years, 13 percent payments for the next five years, and 16 percent for the final 20 years.

According to Eugene Paolino, the attorney for 77 Hudson, his building asked for the same agreement in order "to level the competitive playing field."

He said yesterday he had just found out about the mayor's rejection of the application and wasn't prepared to comment.

The City Council has to vote on this matter. It's unlikely, but the council could vote as early as tonight.

The City Council meets tonight at 6 at City Hall, 280 Grove St.

ianmac47

September 23rd, 2009, 07:16 PM

I think we are actually moving towards a period where we could build residential buildings with little to no parking and not have a problem at all. The denser the neighborhoods become, the more walkable they also become. Manhattan residential buildings don't need to build parking: 80% of families don't even own a car. We aren't there yet, but certainly downtown could move towards a 50% to 60% rate, which is what it is citywide in New York.

JCMAN320

September 23rd, 2009, 07:30 PM

That would be great and the evidence of that happening is that JC has the 3rd most amount of households without a car in the nation only behind NYC and NWK!(40.67%; 2000 Census)

Also JC has the 2nd highest use of mass ridership in the nation only behind NYC and ahead of DC! (46.62%; 2006 American Community Survey)

Walking or biking to work is 8.17%! (2006 American Community Survey)

All these numbers, along with our population, certainly have increased and I'm sure that will be reflected in the 2010 census that our Mayor, Jerrimiah Healy, has been pushing very hard.

JCMAN320

September 28th, 2009, 04:34 PM

Jersey City's Harriet Tubman Homes win award for quality

By The Jersey Journal
September 28, 2009, 9:30AM

Harriet Tubman Homes, an eight-townhouse mixed-income development in Jersey City won the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency's Choice Award Tuesday for its quality and affordability according to today's Jersey Journal.

Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Myrtle Avenue, the homes were completed in October 2008. Before the homes were built the block was a vacant lot.

The homes show that mixed-income housing doesn't have to be built cheaply, but rather, can be built with high quality materials and in an energy efficient way, said Robert Antonicello executive director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which oversaw development of the homes.

The 1,600-square-foot, three-bedroom brick townhouses sold for between $70,000 to $259,900, depending on the income of the buyers, Antonicello said.

The houses are supplied with energy-efficient appliances, 10-inch thick, 100 percent brick exterior walls with 2 feet of high-grade insulation lining them and state-of-the-art hot water heaters, greatly reducing the homeowner's energy bills, Antonicello said.

"I think these people are very happy to be in a decent well-constructed affordable home and they're just waiting for the neighborhood to turn around," said Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson.

MrWolf

October 1st, 2009, 05:28 PM

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/10/sneak_preview_for_jersey_city.html

ianmac47

October 2nd, 2009, 03:59 PM

This weekend is also the Artist Studio tour throughout the city (though primarily in the downtown). Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 6, local artists open up their houses, studios and galleries to show off their artwork.

JCMAN320

October 11th, 2009, 06:50 AM

Linden challenges plans for heliport in Kearny; lawsuit cites danger to Jersey City

By The Jersey Journal
October 10, 2009, 3:03PM
By STAR-LEDGER STAFF

A lawsuit filed by the operator of Linden Municipal Airport is taking aim at what the operator believes represents a threat to private helicopter travel in the metropolitan area.

The lawsuit challenges a proposed heliport in the Hudson County town of Kearny, contending it would send low-flying helicopter traffic over densely populated Jersey City as the aircraft travel to and from New York City.

The lawsuit is filed in the aftermath of August's collision between a single-engine plane and a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River that killed nine people. Paul Dudley, director of the Linden airport, said he is afraid the helicopter route over Jersey City would risk an even deadlier crash that could threaten a federal shutdown of metropolitan airspace to all private helicopter traffic.

"There is a potential to put the whole industry out of business here," Dudley said. "If we have another accident, the impetus to close down the airspace will be so great it will be insurmountable and we will all be shut down."

Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said he had no comment on what the agency might do under such a scenario.

The proposed heliport in Kearny would be on an industrial peninsula at the southern tip of the town in the River Terminal Development site on Central Avenue.

The site is far removed from the residential western portion of Kearny and, Dudley said, town residents would be exposed to none of the noise and hazards of the helicopter traffic that residents of Jersey City would face.

"Kearny is basically subjecting Jersey City to all of the negatives of this facility," said Dudley, whose lawsuit was filed on behalf of an elderly Jersey City resident. "Jersey City gets all of the pain, Kearny gets none of it."

Dudley also noted Kearny residents mounted a heated campaign last year against a now-scuttled proposal for a heliport in the North Ward of Newark, a location that would have brought helicopter traffic directly over the populated portion of Kearny.

William Sullivan and Thomas Cafferty, attorneys for the heliport, said approved FAA flight paths would be observed and they disputed the contentions in Dudley's lawsuit. "This is a lawsuit brought by a competitor and we are going to aggressively oppose it," Cafferty said. The Linden is a general aviation facility owned by the city of Linden.

Jersey City officials declined to comment directly on the Kearny heliport proposal, but city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill issued a statement on behalf of Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.

"In light of the recent tragedy over the Hudson River in which a sightseeing helicopter and a small plane collided and the current review by the FAA of how that airspace is to be regulated, it would be premature to comment," the mayor's statement said. "However, any added air traffic that could potentially put our residents and business community in harms way is something we would likely not endorse."

The August collision occurred at an altitude below 1,100 feet in unregulated air space where pilots fly under visual flight rules and rely on their own communications to avoid collisions.

The operators of the proposed Air Pegasus Metro Heliplex, as the Kearny facility would be known, have filed plans indicating pilots would observe flight paths over waterways and highway corridors that would skirt Jersey City and other populated areas. But, Dudley said, Kearny has no authority to enforce those flight paths.

The Kearny zoning board approved plans for the heliport in August, but Cafferty said there was no definite timetable for when the project would begin.

JCMAN320

October 12th, 2009, 07:25 AM

Linking Downtown with the rest of town
City applies for grant to extend Jersey Avenue into Liberty State Park

http://assets.matchbin.com/secure/7d7bb0b4456ba44d256724550df5ea9a/4ad30243/sites/383/assets/10jcroad11_1.jpg

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff

Jersey Avenue is known primarily as a road running through the heart of Downtown Jersey City. It stops by a creek behind the Jersey City Medical Center, then leads into a footbridge that extends over Mill Creek and into Liberty State Park.

But there have been proposals for years to extend Jersey Avenue, to allow traffic to enter into the park directly rather than take a roundabout route across several city blocks. Also, the extension would allow for emergency vehicles to enter into the park directly and transport those who fall ill in the park to local hospitals faster, such as the Jersey City Medical Center on Grand Street, located in the vicinity of the extension.

The City Council at its Sept. 22 meeting approved a resolution to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for a $72M TIGER Discretionary Grant for the entire funding of the Jersey Avenue Extension project.

If the grant is approved by the USDOT, then the $72 million will cover the three components of the project to be completed: construction of Jersey Avenue between Grand Street and Johnston Avenue/Audrey Zapp Drive, construction of the Mill Creek Bridge, and extension of a combined city sewer outlet into Mill Creek to just east of the proposed extension of Jersey Avenue.

If and when the project is completed, Jersey Avenue going into Phillips Avenue in Liberty State Park would become a 36-foot wide boulevard with two travel lanes and one parking lane. A 10-foot-wide bike path would be adjacent to the travel lane on one side of the roadway and separated by a landscaped island. Sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the roadway. Also, there will be a bridge over Mill Creek spanning 125 feet in length.

The city, in their application document, estimates the project will take 18 months to complete. The project would have to start by August, 2010 since TIGER Grants will be authorized for projects that can be completed by Feb. 17, 2012.

Support of all kinds

The fact that the city has gotten this far toward extending Jersey Avenue can be seen as progress, as there has been opposition from Downtown neighborhood groups and the advocacy group Friends of Liberty State Park over the increased traffic coming through residential areas as well as disturbing nature.

City Councilman Steven Fulop said the project, if it takes place, will be a “good thing” for both Downtown residents who use the footbridge to go into the park, and for Bergen-Lafayette residents who have to deal with cars coming from the park and going through their neighborhoods to get to Downtown.

“Creating the access there and providing extra usage, and the promise of safety on the current footbridge will be good,” Fulop said.

Sam Pesin, president of Friends of Liberty State Park, said when the project was first considered in the 1990s, there had been opposition because there was talk of creating a four-lane road. However, in conversations with city officials involved in the project, they promised Pesin there will only be a two lane road connecting different parts of the city.

“Having a world-class local road, which hopefully will discourage regional commuters and which is a positive connection between neighborhoods, and between the neighborhoods and Liberty State Park and also is an attractive entrance to Liberty State Park, will make the Extension sensible and helpful in enhancing people's quality of life in Jersey City,” Pesin said.

Other officials have offered their approval of the project coming to fruition, with letters encouraging the U.S. Department of Transportation to consider the grant including Mayor Jerramiah Healy, State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (NJ-31), and U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.

The letters all have in common their citing of the extension allowing for more visitors to come to Liberty State Park, which already receives three million people, and the necessity of a direct route between the park and the Medical Center.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.

JCMAN320

October 13th, 2009, 05:04 PM

WALL STREET GIANT
1,600 finance jobs coming to Jersey City

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/dtcc-f10b7f69994bce84_large.jpg

Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
William B. Aimetti, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), announces the move of 1,600 of his company's employees from Manhattan to the Newport section of Jersey City. With him are, from left, New Jersey Development Authority CEO Caren Franzini, Gov. Jon Corzine, Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Chairman and CEO of the LeFrak Organization, Richard LeFrak, and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise.

Nearly $90 million in incentives did the trick.

After trying for more than a year to woo a Wall Street giant across the Hudson, Gov. Jon S. Corzine joined local officials yesterday to announce the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation is bringing 1,600 finance jobs to the Newport Office Center in Jersey City.

"This is a very good day," Corzine said, standing in front the company's future home at 570 Washington Blvd. "I'm almost troubled that it is in the midst of a political campaign because this is something that is real for this city, county and state."

The company holds the assets for most major banks and handled more than $1.88 quadrillion in securities transactions last year, officials said.

It will occupy a 12-story building that housed J.P. Morgan Chase, which is moving across the street.

DTCC plans to renovate the 415,000-square-foot office, including converting a floor of parking into office space, before moving employees in 2013.

New York and New Jersey fought over the company, which decided to keep 700 jobs, including its executives, at its headquarters at 55 Water St. in Lower Manhattan.

DTCC president and chief operating officer William Aimetti described the company as "the most important Wall Street firm you've never heard of," and said he looks forward to the move.

"New Jersey offered us a friendly business climate and convenient location," Aimetti said.

Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy welcomed the company and said the city is contributing $1 million in Urban Enterprise Zone relocation grants over four years.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1255501522151650.xml&coll=3

Ninjahedge

October 13th, 2009, 05:55 PM

LeFrak Organization -- is converting a floor currently devoted to parking into office space.

That is weird.

You would think there is enough office space in JC, especially after the burst bubble, to have a financial company take some space.

And converting a parking garage floor? That will be a PITA simply because of all the pitch and different standards used for garage construction as compared to office construction. I would have to see plans, but this does not sound like it will be a very clean conversion.

injcsince81

October 14th, 2009, 02:49 PM

JCMAN320

October 23rd, 2009, 05:05 AM

To add Paulus Hook-WFC ferry runs

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Commuters who take the ferry from Paulus Hook in Jersey City to World Financial Center in Manhattan and visa versa will have a shorter wait at the docks, NY Waterway officials announced.

Billy Bey Ferry Co., which also operates under the name NY Waterway, says it is expanding service on the Paulus Hook-WFC route on weekdays, cutting wait time from 16 minutes to eight. Officials said demand prompted them to increase service.

The new schedule starts Nov. 2. "We look forward to expanding service as Lower Manhattan continues to rebuild and as the economy recovers," Billy Bey chairman William Wachtel said.

The ferry service expansion was announced at an anniversary event Tuesday at which Billy Bey Ferry Co. celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Hoboken-WFC route.

MARIAM AYAD

JCMAN320

October 27th, 2009, 11:31 PM

Jersey City Council to finalize deal with Wall Street firm

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
October 27, 2009, 11:15AM

The Jersey City Council is expected to approve a package of financial incentives for the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation at its meeting tomorrow night.

Gov. Jon Cozrine joined Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy at a press conference Oct. 13 announcing the Wall Street giant's move to Jersey City. The company will keep its headquarters and 700 employees in Manhattan, but move 1,600 employees to 570 Washington Blvd. in Newport.

The company holds the assets for most major banks and processes much of the world's financial transactions.

New York and New Jersey officials fought over the company for a year. Eventually nearly $90 million in financial incentives convinced DTCC to move most of its staff across the river.

DTCC plans to renovate the 415,000-square-foot, 12-story office, including converting a floor of parking into office space, before moving employees in 2013.

The City Council is set to vote on allocating $5 million in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds, a tax-exempt bond available to large cities and counties under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Jersey City qualified for just under $10 million in recovery bonds.

The council will also vote on a resolution endorsing allocating a $1 million relocation grant from the city's Urban Enterprise Zone funds.

City officials said Hudson County will also contribute $5 million in recovery zone bonds. Also, the state Economic Development Authority's board approved $14.6 million in grants Oct. 13 to help with renovation costs. That's in addition to $74.6 million in tax incentives the board had already approved.

Council members said during Monday's caucus that they felt DTCC would help the local economy by bringing in 1,600 employees who would shop and eat in Jersey City.

Officials said they also felt that other financial businesses could follow DTCC to the city.

"This is a great way to grow Jersey City and I think it's a good investment on our part," Councilman-at-Large Mariano Vega said.

Ninjahedge

October 28th, 2009, 02:54 PM

Smart move calling that area of JC 'Newport". It makes it sound much more provincial/buisnesslike.

NJ still has a stigma attached to it. Any company that wants to have recognition would probably want names like "Newport" over "Newark" or "Jersey City" just to attract clients.

I just wish our company would move over there. I would definitely miss some aspects of NYC, but the commute would be something I could BIKE to if needed! ;)

BrooklynRider

October 30th, 2009, 11:43 PM

http://images50.fotki.com/v406/photos/7/1306457/8089373/Picture073-vi.jpg

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http://images52.fotki.com/v641/photos/7/1306457/8089373/Picture072-vi.jpg

BrooklynRider

October 30th, 2009, 11:52 PM

1.http://images38.fotki.com/v266/photos/7/1306457/8089373/Picture308-vi.jpg

2.
http://images53.fotki.com/v1578/photos/7/1306457/8089373/Picture311-vi.jpg

3.
http://images52.fotki.com/v641/photos/7/1306457/8089373/Picture425-vi.jpg

66nexus

November 1st, 2009, 11:05 PM

Those are absolutely gorgeous shots of JC.

JCMAN320

November 11th, 2009, 09:10 PM

Those are beautiful shots of JC. Very well done. More park land coming for Jersey City!

Approves buying 34 acres of PJP land for new park

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A former landfill is one step closer to becoming a public park.

The Jersey City City Council approved purchasing 34.52 acres of the former PJP Landfill for $12.4 million last night.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is contributing $4 million toward the acquisition and Hudson County gave $1 million. The City Council authorized bonding up to $8.7 million for the remainder, if grants are unavailable.

"It's about time. I'm glad we're here today to see this," Ward B Councilman David Donnelly said Monday night. "I think the people of Jersey City will have a debt of gratitude if we can make this happen."

The property is bordered by the Hackensack River and Route 1&9, with Hartz Mountain Warehouse to the north and the AMB Warehouse, which is under construction, to the south. It sits under the Pulaski Skyway.

The first phase, estimated to cost $8 million, includes capping the landfill, planting grass and wildflowers, and creating access roads. It would be paid for by Waste Management of New Jersey Inc., who is responsible for closing out the landfill, which hasn't been used for decades.

The council also voted to assume responsibility for future maintenance of the site from Waste Management and CWM Chemical Services LLC. In exchange, CWM will place $1.15 million in an escrow account for maintenance.

The city has been pursuing the site for about two years and first contemplated relocating the Department of Public Works and Jersey City Improvement Authority there.

Jersey City Corporation Counsel William Matsikoudis said Waste Management had proposed a plan to the state Department of Environmental Protection that would have capped the landfill but prevented future use.

Under the city's proposed plan, the site will now include soccer fields, jogging trails and a walkway along the river that could connect it to Lincoln Park. There would also be a pedestrian crossing at Route 1&9. Future plans could call for a golf driving range and indoor sports facility.

Matsikoudis said the initial phase should be completed next year, but the sports fields, trails and restrooms would likely be completed by 2015.

Lawyers and environmental engineers have been working on the plans for some time and professionals presented conceptual drawings during the council's Monday caucus meeting.

JCMAN320

November 17th, 2009, 11:16 AM

LINCOLN PARK TO GET WI-FI AND CAMERAS

Monday, November 16, 2009
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Lincoln Park is going hi-tech.

The Hudson County Board of Freeholders is spending nearly $350,000 to outfit the Jersey City park with security cameras and Wi-Fi Internet access.

The park will be the first of the county's nine parks to have both technologies.

Some of the parks have security cameras, but none so far have Wi-Fi capability, which gives users the ability to connect wirelessly to the Internet. "We're using this as a pilot," said Freeholder William O'Dea of Jersey City. "We're hopeful in a couple of years to get all the county parks done. We've already identified Stephen R. Gregg Park in Bayonne to be the next one."

The freeholders have approved a $348,232.08 contract with Kearny-based Johnson Communications to install the devices at Lincoln Park.

O'Dea said the county Sheriff's Office secured just under $100,000 in grants for the project. The county will pay the difference.

The security cameras would be focused on the athletic fields, including the track, tennis courts and baseball fields.

"The way we've proposed it now, it will cover more than 90 percent of the park," he said.

O'Dea said the cameras would serve as a deterrent to crime and help improve quality of life by helping identify people who may spray graffiti or otherwise damage the park.

It will also give staff at the clubhouse the ability to monitor which tennis courts are open.

"Over a two- or three-year period we'd like to get security cameras at all the parks," he said. "I think the reality of it is security cameras are becoming a modern way of not only fighting crime, but preventing crime."

With the exception of a few blind spots in the middle of large grassy areas, park-goers will be able to surf the Web from their laptops throughout most of the park.

JCMAN320

November 18th, 2009, 11:23 PM

New ferry route from Liberty Harbor to Lower Manhattan

By Claire Moses/The Jersey Journal
November 18, 2009, 8:45PM

http://media.nj.com/jersey-journal/photo/ny-waterway-tour-272b2bab1e843bc4_large.jpg
Journal file photo
New ferry route is opening from Liberty Harbor in Jersey City to Lower Manhattan.

A new ferry route, from Jersey City's Liberty Harbor to the World Financial Center on the west side of Lower Manhattan, is scheduled to open next week, according to Billybey Ferry Inc. officials.

"To meet the changing needs of our customers, we are offering this new route," said Paul Goodman, chief executive officer of Billybey, a ferry company that operates part of New York Waterway.

Commuters will be able to try out the new route free on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week as well as Monday, Nov. 30.

After Dec. 1st, Billybey will offer a "park and float" monthly package for $260. With that pass, people will be able to park in the 1,100 spot lot, close to Marin Boulevard.
Single trips on the ferry will cost $5, a monthly card without parking will be $166.
Service between Liberty Harbor and Pier 11, on the east side of Lower Manhattan, will continue, with boats departing every 12 minutes.

Ferries between Liberty Harbor and World Financial Center will run every 24 minutes in the morning between 6 a.m. and 9:42 a.m. and between 1:42 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the afternoon. The ride across the Hudson River takes eight minutes, according Billybey Ferry Inc.

Ferry ridership declined last year and in the first quarter of 2009 by roughly 10 percent, Goodman said. Now, he added, the decline in ridership has stopped.

The new route from Liberty Harbor is designed to attract those people who would otherwise park their car in Lower Manhattan, after sitting in traffic.

Commuters will still be able to take the ferry from Paulus Hook to the World Financial Center.

New York Waterway has a fleet of 33 boats, of which 15 are under the control of Billybey. No new boats were purchased for the new route, Goodman said.

66nexus

November 21st, 2009, 10:43 PM

I wonder how JC to AC (using NYC-NJ traffic) days cruises would go. Trains are cool and all, but they don't necessarily have boat class.

Perhaps this has already been tried:confused:

arcman210

November 24th, 2009, 05:52 PM

I wonder how JC to AC (using NYC-NJ traffic) days cruises would go. Trains are cool and all, but they don't necessarily have boat class.

Perhaps this has already been tried:confused:

Probably couldn't happen because the vessel would have to travel in the Ocean, which wouldn't be feasable unless the ship was very large... Atlantic City doesn't have a cruise terminal that could accomodate a boat that large. Atlantic City could use a cruise terminal (though thats a topic for the AC thread).

66nexus

November 24th, 2009, 06:01 PM

Probably couldn't happen because the vessel would have to travel in the Ocean, which wouldn't be feasable unless the ship was very large... Atlantic City doesn't have a cruise terminal that could accomodate a boat that large. Atlantic City could use a cruise terminal (though thats a topic for the AC thread).

Day cruise ships aren't very large at all and usually don't have to travel blue water. They stay close to the coastline, much the way Perth Amboy's day cruise line does.

JCMAN320

November 25th, 2009, 04:45 PM

Calling the faithful to church once more
The bells of St. Aedan's are finally ringing again

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/st-aedans-church-bellsjpg-d099d623ee16bede_large.jpg
Michael T. Dempsey
Parishioners and others stand by as the bells at St. Aedan's Church are blessed last Sunday.

Church bells ring out as if from the heavens since most are embedded in steeples. And that was the case for St. Aedan's the basilica-styled church on McGinley Square in Jersey City.

Their 15 bells were purchased in 1927 and finally installed and blessed by then Archbishop Thomas Walsh in 1947. They chimed faithfully for decades until repairs necessitated their removal and storage on the church property.

This past Sunday, Bishop Thomas Donato, a Jersey City native and Hudson County Vicar, blessed those same bells, now housed in three galvanized steel arches painted Kelly green.

Two new silver flagpoles were added. This structure now stands in the front yard just north of the parish rectory. "It is an impressive sight and at least gets the attention of the many commuters passing by the parish on their way to Journal Square," said Rev. Joseph Astarita, administrator of St. Aedan's since 2006.

Christoph Paccard, from the original manufacturer of the bells, designed an outdoor set of three arches, twenty-three feet in height, copying the arches of the front door of the church.

The parish raised $125,000 to renovate and sponsor the bells according to the weight of each bell. The bells range from nearly eight hundred pounds to fifty. Work began in February 2009, and the installation was finished in May. He also added a mechanism so that the three main bells could swing in addition to the striker in each bell. Recently the area has been landscaped and lighting was added.

All the outdoor work has caught the attention of longtime parishioners who are happy to see their parish come back to life.

"Father Joe is doing a lot," said Marge Magaldi, 80, who has worshipped at St. Aedan's since 1957. She loves the bells. "I enjoy hearing them. It's a comforting feeling," added Magaldi, who works at St. Dominic's Academy.

From eight o'clock in the morning until eight in the evening, the bells ring every 15 minutes. They play an occasional hymn and the Angelus at noon and six o'clock.

They also beckon residents to come to St. Aedan's. That is probably the more important reason for installing them, according to Astarita, who estimates that there are 20,000 unchurched residents around the church. He started an evangelization program called Two By Two. Parishioners, sometimes with Astarita tagging along, ring doorbells with a hope that they will be invited in to share their story of faith.

Cesar Moralles is one of the visitors. Originally from Spain, where he became involved in the Neo-Catechumenate movement, which seeks to bring people back to church, Moralles, 38, was sent to the U.S. nearly two years ago.

He is a father of eight children. And he readily shares his story of isolation from his parents as a teenager and concerns of self-esteem that led him to accept the Lord and believe that God loves him just as he is. He entered the seminary for a while but saw his calling as a husband and father and missionary.

"It is a joy to announce the Gospel. I receive so much," said Moralles, a teacher at Mother Seton Regional School in Union City as well as a CCD teacher and member of the sacramental preparation team at St. Aedan's.

Astariata is happy with the results. More people are joining the RCIA, getting married in church and reconciling with their families. He thinks that the small group approach is helpful since St. Aedan's is a huge structure. There are roughly 700 registered families with 1,000 worshipping regularly.

"All of them are a hundred times more familiar with the Bible, confess their sins several times a year, and have a deep sense that God is present in their life" said Astarita. And now that the bells are ringing again, he expects more people to hear them and come back to church

JCMAN320

November 29th, 2009, 01:14 AM

Bayside Park is under renovation

By The Jersey Journal
November 12, 2009, 9:53AM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/bayside-park-renovation-addfb7117f23a9fc_large.jpg
Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
Bayside Park on Garfield Ave. in Jersey City is being renovated.

Bayside Park, which runs along Garfield Avenue from Van Nostrand Avenue to Bayside Park Drive, is being renovated by Green Construction, Inc. - adding two modernized and fully irrigated baseball fields, new lighting and a new fieldhouse with upgraded restrooms.

"It was with consultation with the residents that the final plan came about," said Ward A City Councilman Michael Sottolano, who represents residents in that area. "We're excited that it's finally happening. It's an extensive job."

In addition, Bayside Park Drive, which dead-ends into the park, will be connected to another access road off Garfield Avenue to improve the flow of traffic.

The plans will make various parts of the park handicapped accessible. There will be designated parking spaces, and "barrier-free accessibility" will span from the bleachers and fieldhouse, through the children's play area and athletic courts to the Light Rail station.

JCMAN320

November 29th, 2009, 01:22 AM

Burke Hall renovation is first project at Prep

Thursday, November 12, 2009
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/sciejpg-817d5599b345d1e9_large.jpg
Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
Fr. Bob Reiser, S.J., left, President of Saint Peter's Prep, and Jim Horan, Vice President for Planning & Principal Giving, hold artist renderings of the future Science Center, left, and of the Prep campus inside the school's Burke Hall.

St. Peter's Prep is transforming Burke Hall into a state-of-the-art science education building.

The $10 million renovation is the first phase of a long-term master plan that includes every facility at the 6-acre Downtown Jersey City campus on Grand Street.

The private school's Board of Trustees approved the master plan June 22.

It calls for a large multi-purpose space in the York Street parking lot; renovating Mulry Hall and Hogan Hall; reconfiguring the Jesuit residence; constructing a new academic building on York Street; and converting the upper floors in the Humanities Building to office space. The project is expected to take 12 to 15 years.

"The proposed phasing of the various projects over many years allows the school to execute projects and phases only when adequate funding is available for each step," said Board Chairman John Caulfield, a 1971 graduate.

The school has already raised $6.8 million of the $10 million needed for the first phase.

Burke Hall, an all-purpose academic building, would be renovated to include seven new laboratories and other science classrooms.

The three-story building sits at the corner of York and Warren streets and would also get a new main entrance from Warren Street to improve the flow of pedestrian traffic.

The plan cites the school's hundreds of graduates in science-related fields and inadequate science classrooms as reasons for the upgrade. The existing labs are 44 years old and the science classrooms are 67 years old.

In preparation for the Burke Hall renovations, St. Peter's Church, which the school owns, is being converted into a student cafeteria and multi-purpose space. The church was consolidated and closed in the spring.

The renovation work is expected to start late next year and conclude in summer 2011.

IMISSNJ

November 29th, 2009, 09:00 PM

Hi, I have been following your thread for a long time. I worked for a trade publication as an editor in Florida and my territory was north Jersey. I grew up in Caldwell and West Orange. I published new construction projects in JC, I would help contractors find jobs to bid on. I worked with alot of the builders in JC. The project on Newark Avenue I helped get subs jobs - I would publish who they could contact for plans and submit bids. I also was following the Journal Square project and several others. I have decided to finally move out of Florida, (waiting for my son to graduate high school ) and move home. Ive been thinking about moving to JC. I miss NJ so much, Ive been here 20 years and it never felt like home. Anyway I just wanted to thank you, you have no idea how much your information and pictures helped me at my job.

JCMAN320

December 2nd, 2009, 04:55 PM

Hey IMISS you are very welcome; I sent you a PM.

New Guy

December 12th, 2009, 02:11 AM

I Second that motion IMISS on the JC Man. JC Man is a Rock to this site and to this City. I have disagreed with him on occasion, but he is and will always be a Rock. Great info and definately a patriot. Regardless to weather the City ultimately rises or crashes into a brick wall, he will be on that bus. And that is the defination of a patriot.

On another note...My usual imput to this site is blathering on about the economics of the city and the country just to bore the heck out of you guys, but I like it -- for what its worth.

Latest I feel from listening to the economists on Bloomberg, from the papers say and what I pick up in the news is that although we have been saved from the depths of a complete worldwide financial collapse....the banks are STILL not lending. This is the key issue for Jersey City, since it was sooo involved in commercial and residential construction in 2007. You'd walk thru Journal Square (my neighborhood) and every thrid building was being rennovated or knocked down for a condo to go up. It was like Miami. That all came to an abrupt hault in September of last year. The big stuff went up, but there is plenty of smaller stuff that just stopped overnight...it was strange.

The good news is we really came close to complete finacianl disaster as a nation. I dont know how many people understand that it was deeper than just a few speeches by Paulson and Bernaki. This thing was really the next great depression if you listen to the economists. We averted it.

The bad news for JC is that all the economists I hear continue to state that liquidity is still lacking in the 'credit markets'...thats bank speak for 'they are still not lending'. At least not like they should. Im not saying 0 down, no credit check, liar loans like in 2007, but they should be loaning something. Im missing this point...with a zillion dollars in TARP money out there...what heck are they doing with it? This would totally jump start JC contstuction again. This would totally jump start Journal Sqare again (and no...Im not 'just' talking about the towers). So where is the TARP...other than going to CEO's who completely destroyed thse banks with dangerous derivitive plays and then cut themselves 80 million dollar paychecks. Guys..what am I missing here? Where is the 'talent' in that that act must be 'compensated' because these guys are so 'talented'?

Fix this liquidity problem and you will have JC developement explode again. And things like the condo that got cancelled litterally across the street from me in J Square will be online again.

I cant speak to the sepcifics of the town, but I can speak to the big picture stuff, and I see this as JC's biggest problem right now. Liquidity that dried up, became unfunded overnight, and the developement that crashed all around my neighborhood. It is the nations problem.

Somehow the banks must be 'made' to start to lend again.

I said previously we are out of this thing in three years. I made that stement a year ago. OK so hold me to it. Lets start counting...one year down...two to go.

Opinions? What do you guys think?

injcsince81

December 12th, 2009, 10:34 AM

Fix this liquidity problem and you will have JC developement explode again. And things like the condo that got cancelled litterally across the street from me in J Square will be online again.

I don't know that I ever again want to see development in JC "explode" again.

Because after every "explosion" comes... you guessed it, an implosion.

They were giving condos away for free during the bubble - literally, the requirements were: no down payment (or 5%), lousy job, and you got yourself a $500,000 property. A recipe for disaster.

Guess what - that is why the banks are still not lending. They now require some real cash down on properties (because the banks have all of a suden become risk-averse), and many buyers don't have the cash because of bad economy.

I say first things first - the economy in the metro area needs to rebound (don't ask me how since we have shipped our jobs to China), then people will have cash down or a collateral to buy a condo or a townhouse.

But making loans for any real estate property without at least 20 or 30% down in CASH is crazy, in my opinion.

It only leads to another speculative bubble and the next big crash.

New Guy

December 24th, 2009, 12:37 AM

Respectfully, I 'do' want to see another economic explosion in JC. And I believe that JC can pull one off based on real economics, and not the bubble stuff of 2007. South Beach Miami, downtown DC, downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Prospect Park Brooklyn...these are all areas that were depressed years ago. All of them experienced an economic explosion based on real economics. I lived in them and cant afford to go back to any of them now. So, it can be done, and it can be done the right way.

Regarding the banks, I really don't care if they are 'risk adverse' or not. They really need to start lending again. Period. They are part of the Congo line that got us into this mess. Ironic that they helped invent these toxic mortgages, helped market them, and they were also 'one' of the only 'two' parties on each mortgage contract with 0 down and no income verification...and now 'they' are risk adverse? That's like someone drinking a pint of Jack, getting behind the wheel, slamming into a wall and being 'wall adverse'. And denying everyone else in the country the ability to walk near a wall.

The American taxpayer put about a trillion dollars of TARP money out there a year ago to keep them from falling into the abyss. The American taxpayer also currently supports them through the Fed Window that allows them to borrow for virtually nothing (and loan it out at 5%)...so they can easily make money to further stabilize themselves. So...Is that the great economic 'talent' I keep hearing about on the news that they must retained with these million dollar bonuses....borrowing money from us for 0 percent and loaning it out at 5%... hell I am no genius, but even I can make money doing that. Or...more likely is that the American taxpayer doing these boys a solid with the Fed Window until they get on their feet. Some would say its talent...I think the latter.

Don't get me wrong, I am, and continue to be a huge advocate of stabilization. Its essential for the country and for JC. I want healthy banks. I want them to lend in JC again. The banks have fed off at least two major government programs, on the backs of taxpayers, and at a huge expense to the value of the US dollar I might add (yep...that one is a-commin like a freight train..but that is another story for another day...check back with me in a year..). We put more money in the hands of banks than half the GNP of the entire Continent of Europe...so could they all just do us a little 'favor'...here's the favor...next time they are cutting themselves that 80 million dollar bonus for all that 'talent' they bring...could they just lend just a little bit to someone in JC applying for a mortgage. Not looking for the 0 down liar loans of 2007 that they were so willing to fund, nor am I looking to return to 25% cash down of 1955. It should be somewhere in the middle. We got to get this thing rolling again, and they need to start lending. By free market will or by regulation.

I think we are actually saying the same thing..sort of.

Lastly, I Agree. The entire region must start to rebound before JC starts to claw its way back. Good news yesterday. Existing housing up 5%. HOOAH! Bad news today.. new construction housing down. 11%.

I still say thee years. One bad year down 2009. One to stabalize..2010. One to climb 2011. January 2012 we are OUT of this thing.

Zoe

December 24th, 2009, 10:39 AM

I was in JC yesterday and noticed the massive construction site next to the new Westin. What is this double tower going up? Anyone have any links or pictures on what this will look like?

Zoe

December 24th, 2009, 10:55 AM

OK, never mind, its the Monaco... Looks to be around 500 ft tall when completed. The massive base that both towers will sit on are completed and each tower looks to be well on their way. At 47 floors, I'm guessing this will top out summer 2010

morriscounty

December 26th, 2009, 03:44 PM

I love the development that has been going on in JC and I hope it continues to rise. The coast will look more beautiful if they add more high rise towers like the goldman sachs tower. I also hope that the city center towers go up soon so that area will be beautiful. JC redevelopment is so interesting to watch and see what comes next.

Has there been any new developments or is everything still basically at a standstill?

tbal

December 27th, 2009, 06:30 PM

You have the Monaco towers quickly rising on the waterfront; other than this, not much large-scale stuff going on. But, I passed by the site yesterday and I have to say that the structure is looking incredible. I mean, you now have these two tall towers sandwiched in this tiny space between a midrise (Double Tree) and another tall tower (Westin). It looks amazing, and the area is starting to have the feel of Manhattan. We just need to get a few more gaps filled in...

Nexis4Jersey

December 28th, 2009, 12:59 AM

I Took this on Tuesday , they seem to rise a Floor a week , now.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4207611374_b1e98b900e_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4207611458_9305d08e1c_b.jpg

*if you want more pictures of the waterfont area of Jersey City , i have documented most of it.

~Corey

antinimby

December 28th, 2009, 08:51 PM

That area does not have the feel of Manhattan, at least not from streetlevel anyway.

morriscounty

December 28th, 2009, 11:38 PM

I would love to see your pics of the waterfront and i cant wait until the monaco is done. it will look great. and yeah i know the monaco is rising quickly, but too bad nothing bigger is in the works as of now. hopefully as the economy rises, more towers will be proposed and put up

jdbarber

January 7th, 2010, 09:19 PM

That area does not have the feel of Manhattan, at least not from streetlevel anyway.

Agreed. It kinda of feels like Atlanta, there are tall buildings but no vibrant street life because the developments are too auto oriented. But unlike Atlanta they don't need to be.

injcsince81

January 11th, 2010, 04:31 PM

If anyone knows whether the DOT approved JC's application for funds to connect Jersey Ave with Phillips drive, please post.

The decision is due on or before Feb 17, 2010.

It could mean the end of the infamous Rape Bridge, and world-class access to LSP.

JoeSas

January 26th, 2010, 12:00 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/realestate/24njzo.html?ref=realestate

Nexis4Jersey

January 26th, 2010, 05:42 PM

My friend owns a Penthouse in that tower , she said when the weather gets warmer or less cloudy i can come up. She said the views are breathtaking.

JCMAN320

February 2nd, 2010, 01:02 AM

N.J. law could help settle Jersey City embankment lawsuit

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
January 19, 2010, 5:37PM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/jersey-city-embankmentjpg-82721da627865725_large.jpg
NEIL BACON / The Jersey Journal

A law signed in Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s final hours in office could help settle seven-year dispute between Jersey City officials and a developer over the Sixth Street Embankment.

A law signed in Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s final hours in office could be the push Jersey City needs to settle a seven-year land dispute.

The law, signed Monday, could potentially impact the city’s negotiations with developer Steve Hyman, whose wife purchased a parcel of land called the Sixth Street Embankment from Conrail in 2005 for $3 million.

The law, sponsored by former Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, D-Jersey City, Assemblywoman Joan Quigley, D-Jersey City, Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-North Bergen, and Sen. Brian Stack, D-Union City, requires railroad companies to negotiate in good faith with municipalities before abandoning a property.

Jersey City has argued that Conrail did not do that when it sold the land to Hyman.

“We think this is good legislation,” Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said in a statement. “The railroads obtained these right of ways and these properties a long time ago for nothing or next to nothing and we think it is apropos that the various governing bodies have the first crack at obtaining these right of ways with an eye toward enhancing mass transportation whether it be by light rail or some other mode.”

At issue is a 6.5-acre elevated parcel of land on Sixth Street between Marin Boulevard and Brunswick Street.

Hyman wants to build housing on the site, but the city wants to see a portion preserved as open space and the rest become part of the Light Rail corridor.

Healy said as the site could serve as a conduit for the Light Rail, with passengers coming in from the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station at Secaucus Junction, through a four-mile stretch of rail track in the Palisades called Bergen Arches.

He said riders could get off in Journal Square or continue to the Pavonia PATH station and downtown.

“This has the potential to keep thousands of cars off our roads in the morning and afternoon rush hours,” Healy said.

The city filed a lawsuit in 2006 arguing that under federal law Conrail should have offered the site to the city before selling it to Hyman.

In 2007, the federal Surface Transportation Board, which has jurisdiction over rail sites, agreed with the city. But Hyman took the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which threw out the board's decision in June, saying it didn't have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The city and Embankment Preservation Coalition have asked the appellate court to reconsider its decision.

In the meantime, Jersey City Council moved in November to hire former Supreme Court Chief Justice James Zazzali to mediate the disagreement and both sides are working to reach a settlement.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/01/state_law_could_help_settle_je.html
http://www.embankment.org/

injcsince81

February 8th, 2010, 03:07 PM

The winners of $1.5 billion in merit-based transportation stimulus grants through the program known as TIGER (http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/)(Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) will be announced on or perhaps even before February 17, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood confirmed this week.

Language in the Obama administration's first economic stimulus law required TIGER funding recipients to be named by February 17, and LaHood told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that word may come down "a day or two before that."
Metro and rural areas around the country are eagerly awaiting word on the fate of their TIGER applications. Nearly $57 billion in bids were submitted (http://dc.streetsblog.org/2009/10/06/8b-for-high-speed-rail-1-5b-in-transport-stimulus-coming-this-winter/) for the stimulus law's much smaller pot of transportation aid.

JCMAN320

February 13th, 2010, 09:12 PM

Jersey City promises to meet with residents on new Journal Square plan

Thursday, February 11, 2010
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City planning officials will hold a meeting with residents and community groups before moving ahead with a Journal Square redevelopment plan.

City officials agreed to meet with residents after they expressed concerns at Tuesday's Planning Board meeting.

"There's nothing in here that satisfies us," resident Richard Boggiano said. "We're pro-development, we want Journal Square to come back, but we don't want it the way the city wants it."

At issue is a 23-page "Journal Square Core Redevelopment Plan" that the city's Planning Division presented to the Planning Board Tuesday.

The plan is a scaled-down version of a 2007 "Vision Plan," which covered a 244-acre area with Journal Square at its heart. That plan stalled before the City Council in 2008.

This plan, however, only includes Journal Square itself, which is bounded by Sip, Bergen and Summit avenues and Kennedy Boulevard.

Boggiano said he is concerned because there are no limits on building heights, and he fears he could be looking down his street and see 80-story buildings in the Square.

The plan segments the Square into four different zones.

Three of the zones would maintain the current zoning allowances. The largest of those is a central portion owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Other parcels unaffected are Hudson County College and the former Hotel on the Square site, which is slated for major development.

The former hotel site, being developed by the Multi-Employer Property Trust and Harwood Properties, will include two towers - one 68 stories, the other 50 stories, with 70,000 square feet of retail space and more than 650 parking spaces.

Despite a ground-breaking ceremony last May where developers said work would start by the year's end, Liz Opacity, as spokeswoman for the developer, said the project has been delayed by the economy.

The Square's redevelopment plan would concentrate development along Sip Avenue near Summit Avenue and on Summit Avenue between Sip and Magnolia Avenues.

While there is no height restriction on buildings, the plan calls for the use of floor area ratios, which would limit square-footage and mandate that tall buildings be thinner.

"They're going to have to go with tall, slender, graceful buildings, not long slabs," City Planning Director Bob Cotter said. "We're trying to avoid that because one of the great things about Jersey City is the spectacular views."

The plan calls for mixed-use buildings with offices or residential units on top and commercial space at the street level. It also sets limitations on parking, for example allowing up to one parking space per two apartments to encourage use of public transportation.

A meeting date has not been set, but Cotter said it would be posted on the city's Web site, www.cityofjerseycity.com.

JCMAN320

February 15th, 2010, 08:09 PM

Some updates. The Monaco is moving along very swiftly http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/2010/01/monaco.html. The base is already up and the towers have gone vertical at an incredibly fast rate.

A condo development at Wayne and Barrow has been building and moving along very swiftly as well. http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/2010/02/wayne-and-barrow.html

The extension of Jersey Ave. across the Morris Canal into Liberty State Park looks like it might start as well. http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/2010/01/jersey-ave-extension.html

Newark and Tonelle condo/luxury rental is almost finished retail just has to move into the base http.://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/2010/01/newark-and-tonnele.html

The Summit workforce housing building in the Heights on the Jersey City Union City boarder is waiting for its exterior touches. http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/2009/12/summit.html

http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/ The newer posts on this site courtesy of Brooklynfoo, are about Crystal Pointe how it is finishing up and waiting on it's waterfront walkway, Crescent Court condos in Downtown JC, the newest office building in JC and probably the last for a while; the Medical Office building for the JC Medical Center.

Also there will be a public parking grage operated by the I believe the Medical Center but will be able to be used for anyone who wants to use it. http://thejcra.org/index.php?p=project-details&pid=8

Here is a site about the current stablization work on the Powerhouse http://www.jcpowerhouse.org/. There are also photos of the current work on the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority website: http://thejcra.org

Given the economy it is amazing that still development is occuring here in Jersey City. It has slowed no question; I do feel however that JC has faired better than most cities and faired the best of any city in the state.

injcsince81

February 18th, 2010, 01:44 PM

http://www.dot.gov/documents/finaltigergrantinfo.pdf

at least I don't see it here...

:mad:

JCMAN320

February 21st, 2010, 11:48 PM

Interesting..I wonder what that equipment at the foot of Jersey Ave is for? The city demolished an older industrial building at the foot of Jersey Ave right before Mill Creek as if to clear a way for the extension of Jersey Ave.

I really hope they bridge the cap between Downtown JC and Liberty State Park; it needs to happen. It would be helpful for the new Liberty Harbor neighborhood and help make LSP along with the Liberty Science Center more acceisable for Downtown residents. Right now the current footbridge is unappealing and frankly ominous looking. It be a much more welcoming entrance to LSP for sure.

Nexis4Jersey

February 22nd, 2010, 12:40 AM

I think condos are going there as part of Liberty Harbor , probably by the end of the year they'll find enough money to build it.

injcsince81

February 22nd, 2010, 11:43 AM

Right now the current footbridge is unappealing and frankly ominous looking.

You know the nickname for that bridge, right, JCman?

The Rape Bridge.

I really hope that its days are numbered. This entrance to LSP from Downtown Jersey City is an abomination.

ForestHillsGardens

February 22nd, 2010, 10:05 PM

Here is few areas outside of Manhattan that has more plans for High-Rise, Commercial, Commercial/Residential and Residential Buildings:

Downtown Brooklyn, Kings Co.
Long Island City, Queens Co.
Flushing, Queens Co.
Jersey City, NJ.

I really feel that High Rise and/or Modern buildings could make a city look more developed and comfortable to walk in. I am also stunned to see the buildings rise in Jersey City, NJ. It is pretty sweet in ways, :)!

JCMAN320

February 23rd, 2010, 12:13 AM

LOL! Yea I know. I used Rape Bridge coming from the All Points West Festival. Freakin disgusting! It needs to go ASAP!

Gourmet food market coming this summer to Downtown Jersey City condo tower

By The Jersey Journal
February 22, 2010, 5:00PM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/77hudsonjpg-9ef87fcb859d4d58_medium.jpg
Jersey Journal file photo
Gourmet market will open this summer at 77 Hudson St.

A 6,000-square-foot gourmet market is expected to open at 77 Hudson St., Downtown Jersey City, this summer, developer K. Hovnanian announced today.

The retail condominium space was bought by the Hudson Greene Market, an independent "full-service" grocery store that wil be located at the corner of Hudson and Grand streets. The store will offer organic meats, a bakery with fresh bread and French pastries, a Nespresso coffee shop, and prepared take-out dinners.

“The opportunity to serve the growing 77 Hudson community and surrounding Paulus Hook neighborhood by being the first one-stop gourmet grocer is thrilling,” said Ariel Zaurov, proprietor of Hudson Greene Market.

“The superb location and CetraRuddy’s extraordinary design attracted enormous interest in the retail space,” said Tom Graham, Senior Community Manager of 77 Hudson. “We believe that Hudson Greene Market will add another element of convenience to an already unparalleled package of amenities and services that make up the 77 Hudson lifestyle.”

The 48-story glass condo tower is one of two making up the complex that was constructed with about 10,000 square feet of ground floor area for retail space. K. Hovnanian owned the 77 Hudson Tower and Equity Residential owns the other at 70 Greene St.

JCMAN320

February 23rd, 2010, 12:34 AM

Historic Paulus Hook Association seeks public input to turn Jersey City lots into a park

Monday, February 22, 2010
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The four corner lots at the intersection of Washington and Grand Streets in Jersey City may not seem like a park.

Yes, they are technically a public space, and three of the corners are filled with trees. But they are gated and closed to the public. The fourth corner, behind School 16, has housed portable school units for about 20 years.

Those buildings are being torn down this summer, however, and the demolition has inspired members of the Historic Paulus Hook Association to renovate the unique space.

"The vision of the neighborhood with support from the school is that the four corners are renovated and one of the four corners would become the school's playground," said Andrée Bourgon, secretary of the Historic Paulus Hook Association.

The corner served as a playground until the school needed the space and the other three corners were gated and locked in the 1980s when fewer people lived in the area.

Now with a community full of young families, the association hopes to bring that space back.

"The neighborhood wasn't as alive as it is now," Bourgon said. "The park is now something that is necessary. It could be a wonderful vital part of the neighborhood if only you could use it."

Stephanie Daniels, head of the association's parks committee, said the group is working with the city to start the renovation process.

The first step, she said, is to find out what the community's vision for the park is.

The association has created an on-line survey - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PHPark - and is accepting survey responses through March 1 and plans to announce the results at its April 1 meeting.

About 250 responses have been submitted so far.

"The more answers we get, the more statistically sound our survey ends up being," Bourgon said.

JCMAN320

February 23rd, 2010, 06:17 PM

NY Waterway to offer Monmouth County-to-Jersey City ferry service

By The Jersey Journal
February 23, 2010, 11:57AM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/waterway-ferry-paulus-hook-belfordjpg-ed6b70291580d30a_large.jpg
Jersey Journal file photo
NY Waterway will offer its first "Jersey to Jersey" service next month with a Belford-to-Paulus Hook route.

NY Waterway's first "Jersey to Jersey" ferry route will begin service at the start of next month.

The route, slated to start March 1, will go from Belford in Monmouth County and Jersey City's Paulus Hook, with a stop at Pier 11 in Manhattan in between, founder & CEO Arthur E. Imperatore announced today.

The new route, at roughly an hour from Belford to Jersey City, would cut the travel time in half for those now driving from Monmouth County, said NY Waterway spokesman Pat Smith.

"NY Waterway has a strong tradition of meeting the changing needs of our customers," Imperatore said in a statement. "Our Monmouth County customers expressed the need to have service to Jersey City, and we were happy to accommodate them."

Smith said there are six departures from Belford to Paulus Hook between 5:45 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. each weekday and eight departures from Paulus Hook between 2:40 p.m. and 8:55 p.m. each weekday afternoon/evening.

"Based on the success of other routes in our 23-year history, we would expect this Belford-Paulus Hook service to support Jersey City's efforts to increase employment opportunities and to add to the attraction of the Monmouth County Bayshore as a desirable place to live, with minimal increase in auto traffic," Imperatore said.

More information can be found at the NY Waterway Web site.

JCMAN320

February 25th, 2010, 06:39 PM

Springing back to life
Hamilton Park, 2 others being renovated

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff

Hamilton Park, a square, green area of downtown Jersey City surrounded by historic rowhomes, dates back to 1848. After a $3.2 million renovation, it should reopen this summer with a fountain, a spray park, light poles, two dog runs, basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, an amphitheater, and a community garden.

The park is one of three in the downtown area of the city are being transformed by city government, their neighbors, and in one case, by local companies.

Paulus Hook Park – also known as Four Corners Park – lies at the intersection of Washington and Grand streets, and is set to be renovated after residents complete a survey of how they want the area redesigned.

Then there’s Colgate Park, a small, private park located on Essex and Greene streets, which is being refurbished for public use due to the joint efforts of several corporations that own property in the area.

Hamilton Park

First, the major renovation of Hamilton Park, which started in April of last year. The city-run park is located between Eighth and Ninth Streets near the Holland Tunnel. Rows of stately brownstones overlook it on each side.

The renovation is being done by Green Construction from South River, N.J.

Neighbors have been pursuing the renovation since 2005, providing input to the city on how the park should be renovated.

City spokesperson Jennifer Morrill issued a brief statement about the current status of the renovation last week:

“Construction is close to completion, but the winter weather has stalled some of the final construction elements.”

At the present time, the park is completely fenced off to the public and there is no construction taking place.

Residents needing some green space can use the temporary park built last year by developers Paul and Eric Silverman of Exeter Property (developers of the Hamilton Square residential project overlooking the park) on a vacant lot on McWilliams Place across the street from Hamilton Park.

Paulus Hook Park

Residents living in the Paulus Hook area of downtown JC have sought for some time to further develop the unusual park, which includes three corners of developed land with some park benches, greenery, and a monument honoring the area of Revolutionary War action.

The fourth corner is occupied by classroom trailers belonging to the Jersey City Board of Education (BOE) for nearby Public School 16. However, the board has agreed to remove the trailers at the end of this school year. That means a neighborhood group, The Historic Paulus Hook Association (HPHA), and City Hall are moving forward with plans to redesign the park.

A survey is being conducted (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PHPark) to cull suggestions on redeveloping the four corners and will close on March 1. Results from the survey are scheduled to be presented on Thursday, April 1, at the HPHA monthly meeting held in OLC Community Hall, 114-118 Sussex St.

One of the residents wanting to see a new Paulus Hook Park is Stephanie Daniels, who has lived in the area since 1991. She says parents are seeking a playground, and want to make the park more appealing to the public.

“Four benches that look out to the intersection – it’s not the community’s idea of a park,” Daniels said.

Colgate Park

It’s a small "pocket park" on the corner of Essex and Greene Streets. When it was active, it had a basketball court and a playground.

Now, Colgate Park is a torn-up landscape in the midst of a renovation that started last year. But when it is finished, it will hold a new basketball court and a new playground.

Work has currently halted due to the winter weather but is expected to be completed in the spring.

This project does not bear any effort from Jersey City government but instead is an example of a private-public partnership.

The park is under the control of the Colgate Center Property Owners Association, which consists of the major corporations who own land and/or operate businesses near the park – including Hartz Mountain Industries, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.

With the help of the community, they came up with a plan to rehabilitate the park.

City Councilman Steven Fulop, who lives a few blocks from the park, is “looking forward” to seeing its completion.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.

http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/5814014/article-Springing-back-to-life-Hamilton-Park--2-others-being-renovated-?instance=news_special_coverage_right_column

http://www.hamiltonpark.org/

JCMAN320

February 26th, 2010, 11:51 PM

http://jcconstruction.blogspot.com/

Alrite here we go another construction update courtesy of Brooklynfoo and his jcconstruction.blogspot.com.

In the link above is a photo update of 278 Newark Avenue in Downtown Jersey City in the Village section. Following that is a handsome building at 255 Washington Street across from the Main Post Office and near the corner of Washington and Montgomery Streets in Paulus Hook sec. of Downtown Jersey City. Last put not least of new posts on the page is 225 Grand Street on the corner of Marin Blvd and Grand St.; part of the new Liberty Harbor neighborhood of Jersey City.

Explore the rest of the site as well. Brooklynfoo does great work on his site and he does a really good job of keep tabs on the projects being built in Jersey City.

JCMAN320

February 27th, 2010, 12:51 AM

Supermarkets closing, and opening
Acme to leave JC/Bayonne border; Walmart and others come to area

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff

There are at least 66 supermarkets operating in Hudson County, including 20 in Jersey City, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Some towns stand to lose their neighborhood supermarkets in this economy, while others have recently gained larger Walmart stores.

The Acme Supermarket on Garfield Avenue near the Jersey City/Bayonne border is closing its doors on Feb. 6, but a Fine Fare Supermarket is slated to open in the same space in the near future. Meanwhile, Walmart recently opened its first grocery store in Hudson County with a 24-hour “supercenter” located in North Bergen. Several shoppers interviewed at the opening said they had come there from Jersey City.

Walmart also plans to reopen its existing store in Secaucus with a 27,000 square-foot grocery store. Since Secaucus has lost its Acme and Stop and Shop in the past 10 years, the Super Walmart has been welcomed by residents.

Last month, the Shop-Rite on Avenue C in Bayonne re-opened after being closed for nearly a year, expanding to a 70,000 square-foot store with underground parking.

But what else is on the horizon?

Bayonne

Steve Gallo, chief of staff for Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, said last week that there are no plans for any new supermarkets opening in Bayonne in the near future. However, a Walmart is coming to the future mall at 22nd Street off Rte. 440 known as Bayonne Crossing. A Lowe’s Hardware will also anchor the spot.

Gallo said there are already several supermarkets in different parts of the city, each serving a different location. Besides the ShopRite on Avenue C, there is a Stop & Shop off Rte. 440, A&P on Avenue A near Sixth Street, and C-Town on Broadway.

“Bayonne has always had competitive supermarket business because of the proximity of stores from the people they are serving, whether it’s Stop & Shop on the highway for people who have a car or the ones in the inner city like ShopRite for pedestrians and the elderly,” Gallo said.

Jersey City

Jersey City also has its share of supermarkets, including two downtown near the Newport Mall: ShopRite and A&P.

Dan Frohwirth, director of real estate for the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, said any conversations with supermarket chains usually center on whether there is “sizable” retail space and parking.

The median square footage of a supermarket was 47,500 as of 2007, according to the Food Marketing Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based food retailer organization.

Frohwirth said the more recent supermarket to open is the Morton Williams located within the Shore Club condo building within the Newport community in downtown Jersey City. The store has been open since July 2008, and attracts most of its consumers from the Newport area.

Frohwirth, who also lives in the Shore Club building, lauded the store for not only being “clean” but also for being open up to midnight to accommodate tenants’ last-minute grocery requests.

He noted that two smaller markets or mini-supermarkets are in the works for Monticello Avenue in the city’s Bergen-Lafayette section.

Whole Foods downtown?

For downtown Jersey City residents, the target audience of this newspaper, “Whole Foods” has a ring of familiarity. That’s because they have been clamoring for years to see the Austin, Tex.-based organic mega-retailer open a store in their area. So far, there are none in Hudson County.

Residents have posted on internet bulletin boards like JCList and New York Sixth about the Whole Foods obsession. But in fact, there have been real-world discussions to bring them to Jersey City.

Longtime developer Peter Mocco, responsible for the massive Liberty Harbor development off Grand Street in downtown Jersey City, has been and still is in negotiations to bring a “high-end food store” such as Whole Foods to Liberty Harbor. But there’s a catch.

“The kind of dilemma that I deal with is the idea of single stand-alone supermarket building that would be an interim solution, but would have to be taken down when I build a much a larger building that would allow for a food store on the ground floor,” Mocco said.

Mocco said he has not been able to build a larger-size mixed use residential-retail building due to the current economic market.

Closing shop

The Acme Supermarket at the Jersey City-Bayonne border looked nearly dead during a recent visit.

Shelves in certain areas are either completely empty or nearly so, with signs hanging off them saying 33 percent off. A man was filling his carts with cases of soda.

One longtime customer, Katherine Brown, said she will miss the Acme management that she got to know over the last 10 years.

“I will miss all my friends, who all treated me with respect and were always helpful, even if they were busy,” Brown said.

Standing near the half-empty dairy aisle were four men looking over architectural plans for the Fine fare store. One of them identified himself as the owner. He referred questions to the spokesperson standing next to him, Steven Felber.

Felber said that his company will remodel the store and confirmed that it will be a Fine Fare store. But did not say when it will open.

A follow-up phone call to Felber was not returned by press time.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.

http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/5710329/article-Supermarkets-closing--and-opening-Acme-to-leave-JC-Bayonne-border--Walmart-and-others-come-to-area-?instance=secondary_stories_left_column

JCMAN320

March 8th, 2010, 11:14 PM

225 Grand in Jersey City to start leasing in April

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
March 07, 2010, 6:00PM

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/225grandjpg-9d0a6c64de418fd5_large.jpg
Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
225 Grand in Jersey City is set to start leasing units next month

Work on 225 Grand in Jersey City's massive Liberty Harbor North development is wrapping up.

The 348-unit apartment building, which has 1,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, plans to start leasing units in April, said Josh Wuestneck, of Applied Development Companies.

The development is a partnership between Hoboken-based Ironstate, a division of Applied Development Companies, and Bridgewater-based SK Properties.

It's one of many components of the Liberty Harbor North Redevelopment District, an 80-acre mixed-use, 28-block project between the Jersey Avenue and Marin Boulevard light rail stations. The long-term plans call for 10,000 residential units, 4 million square feet of office space and 250,000 square feet of retail space.

Wuestneck said workers are putting the "finishing touches" on the residential units.
Once open, the building will have a 24-hour door man, fitness center, billiards room, lounge, business center with a bar and roof deck with a swimming pool.

There will be about 350 parking spaces.

The 15-story building sits next to the Marin Boulevard Light Rail Station and is named for its address, 225 Grand St.

Across the light rail tracks, Ironstate and SK Properties have a yet-to-be named 498-unit project in the works. They hope to begin construction next year.

"We'll see how the lease-up goes on this building (225 Grand) and then make a decision on when to start it," he said.

Peter Mocco, the former North Bergen mayor and builder of The Sutton, The Zenith, The Regent as well as brownstones and townhouses at Liberty Harbor, said he's concentrating on filling existing retail space before starting new construction.

"We have other buildings that are planned and we would anticipate that shortly we'll undertake them," he said. "In the meantime, we have constant activity with retailers who are renting at Liberty Harbor."

Mocco said he's working on a lease agreement for an 8,000-square-foot Brazilian steak house. He's also finalizing a lease for an optometrist and eye glass facility that will be 3,000 square feet.

Liberty Harbor might also get a hotel. Tarrunumn Murad, CEO and Founder of Tramz Hotels Group, has proposed a 300-room Conrad Hilton Hotel along Marin Boulevard.

Murad is working with the City Council to get the city to guarantee an $8 million federal loan, which the developer plans to use to remediate the site and start construction.
Her goal is to complete the $118 million project by April 2014.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The proposed Hilton Hotel:
http://thejcra.org/jcra_files/Image/redevelopment_projects/TramzConrad%20Hilton%20Phase%201.JPG

http://www.thejcra.org/index.php?p=project-details&pid=19

Ground breaking is set for Spring 2010.

JoeSas

March 12th, 2010, 10:03 AM

have they remediated the area for the hilton? I highly doubt this will break ground this Spring.

lammius

March 13th, 2010, 01:56 AM

have they remediated the area for the hilton? I highly doubt this will break ground this Spring.

The site has not been remediated. The developer is asking City Council to take an $8 million HUD loan and then in turn loan the prceeds to the developer. It's important to note that this developer made contributions to the Team Healy campaign, including the campaigns of nearly every member of the Council.

New Guy

March 16th, 2010, 03:54 AM

Who bets we beat Newark for the largest City in NJ in this Census? Any takers?

lammius

March 16th, 2010, 10:47 PM

Who bets we beat Newark for the largest City in NJ in this Census? Any takers?

No way. I think Newark will stay ahead by at least 20,000. The difference is too great, and the growth rates of both cities too small (actually Newark has had a higher growth rate than JC this decade) to be made up in 2010. By 2020 or 2030 we could have a ball game here.

Newarkguy

March 19th, 2010, 08:04 PM

Who bets we beat Newark for the largest City in NJ in this Census? Any takers?
Its not happening. How many new apartment tower units built in Jersey city since 2000? multiply that by 2(assuming all renters are couples or have company) All those new towers look impressive but how many are occupied? The US census is not even aware of the many new residential towers,so no Census forms will be mailed. Jersey City Census staff will have to go to EVERY floor and unit!! Even if they count everyone in those new towers, you still have to deal with the population loss in the old Greenville township section! In the end the score is...285,000 to 250,000 newark. I'm being conservative here, Newark may actually hit 290,000. Yes, Im biased towards Newark, hence "Newarkguy" :)

Zoe

May 8th, 2010, 09:08 AM

Monaco Towers have really taken off in the past few months. These towers are clearly seen when walking west on Fulton street towards WTC

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/9752/img0358e.jpg (http://img576.imageshack.us/i/img0358e.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

NYatKNIGHT

May 10th, 2010, 02:28 PM

Nice update. How much taller will they get?

Zoe

June 18th, 2010, 04:26 PM

Topped out
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5317/img0485z.jpg (http://img88.imageshack.us/i/img0485z.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5240/img0484e.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/i/img0484e.jpg/)

JoeSas

June 22nd, 2010, 03:33 PM

Jersey City site of old chocolate factory to be transformed by Hoboken developers to set new standard for energy-efficiency

Tuesday, June 22, 2010 By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Hoboken developers are drilling for energy in Jersey City near the Hoboken border.
They're not looking for mucky oil but for clean green geothermal energy to heat and cool their 400-unit development.
http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/jersey_journal/nj/njc/L10/304067526/StoryAd/NJONLINE/Spacer_NJ_RoS_12/Spacer_SpanMJX.html/52514a6c42557768415a34414154784d?_RM_EMPTY_&
http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/jersey_journal/nj/njc/@StoryAd?x What's planned is a residential and retail development with a 1.5 acre public park at the derelict site of the former Van Leer Chocolate factory below the Palisades Cliffs in Jersey City that the builders hope will become an example of how to build greener than green.
The development will be built on two sites totaling seven acres sold by the Van Leer family. The land has been a wasteland since the family ended chocolate production in the late 1980s.
The first portion of the seven-acre development that lies to the north of Hoboken Avenue will create 221 new homes in a six-story building. A second phase to the south of the avenue will provide the balance of the units. The development will include 7,500 square feet of retail space and parking.
The project, which will get underway this September and will take up to 18 months to complete, aims to reduce energy consumption by up to 90 percent compared to standard buildings and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions, said Daniel Gans who is developing the property with his partner George Vallone of the Hoboken Brownstone Company.
Using heat exchangers reaching 500 feet below ground to harness the constant 55 degree temperature below ground, the geothermal technology would cool the building in the summer and heat it in winter.
Roofs would be covered with solar panels to generate electricity, and solar water heaters would heat water tanks.
Wrapped with thermally efficient concrete, the building would draw energy out of air leaving the building through vents and exhaust fans and reuse it to heat the building.
The new development will be linked to the Hoboken Second Street Light Rail by roughly a half-mile walkway paid for with $4.6 million in federal funds through New Jersey Transit, secured with the help of Rep. Albio Sires.
Sires, who also helped secure $237,000 for the park, said supporting the project was a "no brainer."
"I predict this development project is going to be a model not just for New Jersey but for energy-efficient projects across the country," Sires said.

STT757

June 27th, 2010, 11:58 AM

Any news on bringing Whole Foods to Jersey City?.. If not Whole Foods, Wegmans would be awesome.

lofter1

July 10th, 2010, 05:14 PM

To liven things up on the other shore, maybe someone should hold another "Grand Annual Chowder" like these Irish fellows from NYC did back in July of 1880 ...

RIOTERS IN NEW-JERSEY

TWENTY-ONE NEW-YORK ROUGHS LOCKED UP.

NY TIMES (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B07E6DB143FEE3ABC4E51DFB166838B 699FDE)
July 26, 1880, Wednesday

The "Grand Annual Chowder" of the James F. Fitzgerald Association of New-York took place yesterday. The James Fitzgerald Association is composed of about as hard a crowd of roughs as New-York can boast. The members hail from the Fourth and Sixth Wards, and range in ages from 18 to 25 years. Forty of them, dressed in blue shirts, straw hats, and dark pants, started in a large stage, can crossing the Cortlandt-street ferry to Jersey City, drove up Grand-street (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Lehigh_Valley_Jersey_City_Terminal.png) and through Ocean-avenue to the "Idle Hour," in Greenville. The "Idle Hour" is a Summer resort kept by Henry C. Post, a Freeholder of Hudson County, on the bank of the Morris Canal (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/1827_Morris_Canal.jpg) and facing New-York Bay, to which access is had be means of a bridge across the canal. It is very pleasantly located, and is a popular resort for chowder and picnic parties. As the stage drove through the quiet streets of Jersey city and Greenville, its noisy occupants shouted and sang. They arrived at their destination without accident, and while the chowder and dinner they had ordered was being prepared, devoted themselves to disposing of several kegs of beer. As the beer decreased the noise increased ...

[END OF FIRST PARAGRAPH]

FULL ARTICLE [pdf] (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B07E6DB143FEE3ABC4E51DFB166838B699FDE)

stache

July 10th, 2010, 10:04 PM

This is what we call a slow news day.

macmini

August 3rd, 2010, 10:41 PM

I haven't posted in a long but I was wondering if anyone know whats going to be built in the Square on the corner of Sip Ave & Jones Street. I know it's owned by HCCC and for the last three weeks they have been tearing down 2 or 3 buildings on the site. I pass it everyday on my way to work and on my way home I really hope their going to build something the last thing the square needs is another empty lot.

JCMAN320

August 4th, 2010, 01:45 AM

Hey bro. It's going to be a library with 2 floors for classrooms for HCCC.

macmini

August 4th, 2010, 08:58 PM

I thought this was going to be developed by a private developer I have to see if I can find the renderings again. Please knock all these building down or at least do the same thing the did to Duncan projects it looks pretty good. The 434-unit Montgomery Gardens public housing complex in Jersey City -- the scene of two recent shootings -- is in the planning stages for conversion into fewer, lower-density residences that officials hope will reduce the violence and criminal activity plaguing residents.

The first phase of the conversion will likely begin next summer and will include gutting the 12-story, 60-unit building at Florence and Montgomery streets for conversion into senior housing, Jersey City Housing Executive Director Maria Maio said today.

That project will take about 18 months to complete and seniors will have to apply to live there, with Montgomery Gardens residents getting priority, Maio said.

Conversion of the rest of the complex, comprised of a number of high-rise apartment buildings, is in the "very, very preliminary stages," Maio said, adding that "everything is out there, everything is on the table."

It's likely the residences to replace the Montgomery Gardens high-rises would be built by private developers on nearby vacant lots in the area of Cornelison and Fairmount avenues, Maio said. The land is owned by Metrovest, which developed the nearby Beacon condominiums, and will be donated in accordance with an agreement made when the company bid for the old Jerse City Medical Center complex that became the Beacon, Maio said. Some 60 to 90 residences will fit there, she said.

The conversion is part of a movement toward tearing down high-rise public housing and replacing it with townhouses and other smaller buildings.

Jersey City public housing complexes already converted to lower-density residences are A. Harry Moore on Duncan Avenue, Lafayette Gardens on Pacific Avenue and Curries Woods on the Bayonne border. Maio said there has been a marked improvement in the quality of life at those sites.

"There is absolutely a significant reduction in crime," Maio said. "The problem with the high-density buildings is they become public buildings so people have access to them and sometime it's very difficult to figure out who is responsible for these activities. The crime at Montgomery is becoming very significant."

Residents would have to apply to move into the new housing and the screening process will including a background check for recent criminal activity, Maio said, calling the process stringent.

Residents will have other options including moving to other public housing and Section 8 subsidies, renting in the private market or buying.

"The hardest part of all of this is always relocation," Maio said. "Even with all the issues facing Montgomery Garden, with criminal activity and the obsolescence of the buildings, there is still reluctance to move because it is home."

About 600 people now live in Montgomery Gardens, she said. Some 200 apartments are vacant as voluntary departures will help smooth the transition when the conversion takes place.

Maio also noted that there is an upcoming public meeting on the housing authority's One Strike policy in which housing residents arrested for drug, firearm or other serious offenses are evicted along with anyone living in their apartments. The opportunity for public comment will be at the Housing Authority meeting in Jersey City City Hall at 6 p.m. next Wednesday.

Montgomery Gardens has been the scene of two brutal shootings recently.

Yesterday, a 19-year-old Grant Avenue man was critically wounded when he was shot multiple times (http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/08/jersey_city_man_shot_multiple_2.html) at Bright and Florence streets at 12:51 in the morning, officials said.

On July 16, 5-year-old Hasmera Clayton was shot inside the Montgomery Gardens courtyard during a block party (http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1280298304265920.xml&coll=3). The bullet that nicked her spine was surgically removed, but doctors do not know if she will regain full use of her limbs.

The shooting of the 5-year-old prompted an anti-violence rally (http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/07/more_than_300_rally_at_site_wh.html) at Montgomery Gardens on July 22 attended by more than 300 people. On July 28, a tip led police (http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/07/jersey_city_police_seize_1300.html) to the seizure of 1,300 bags of suspected heroin and two guns in an apartment in the complex, police said.

macmini

August 7th, 2010, 03:30 PM

I knew I remembered seeing a rendering some one posted of what suppose to replace the Montgomery Gardens. I fond this on the JC list by minster32 I don't no if this has already been posted here.

10236

lofter1

August 7th, 2010, 08:18 PM

Anybody on the west side of the Hudson hearing about the new gas pipeline (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/08/06/jersey_city_meatpacking_district_have_a_bad_case_o f_gas.php) proposed by Spectra Energy of Houston to run through JC (http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1280990421292470.xml&coll=3), then across the river and into Manhattan via the Gansevoort Peninsula?

lofter1

August 7th, 2010, 08:25 PM

Of potential interest:

Eminent Domain - Bedford PA

ChosenSpotDesign (http://www.youtube.com/user/ChosenSpotDesign)
January 31, 2009

We are a group of citizens property owners fighting for our rights against eminent domain actions launched by Texas-based Spectra Energy Corporation, a natural gas storage company, and backed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1mAMn6zsto

Nexis4Jersey

August 8th, 2010, 11:44 AM

I doubt it will happen , it will go under the Hudson. The Mayors of JC , Bayonne, and Hoboken are speaking out about this aswell as Senators and the Gov. They'll have to put it underwater.

lofter1

August 8th, 2010, 01:32 PM

Folks in Staten Island are pushing for changes (http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/energy_company_reviewing_alter.html) in the plan for the same pipeline ...

Energy company reviewing alternatives for natural gas pipeline on Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The energy company seeking to install and replace several miles of natural gas pipeline through parts of Staten Island is reviewing alternative routes after the city Department of Environmental Protection said the project would have "serious impacts on water and sewer infrastructure along Richmond Terrace."

Documents filed by Houston-based Spectra Energy to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission indicate that "bore locations for the Kill van Kull Shooters Island alternative" have been identified.

That would move the pipeline installation and replacement out of the roadbed of Richmond Terrace and into the water around Shooters Island, a World War I shipyard turned bird sanctuary ...

A Spectra Energy spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the company's plans, only offering that projects in the proposal stage have built-in alternatives "because we need viable options should our preferred route not be workable."

The Richmond Terrace proposal is still on the table ...

© 2010 SILive.com

Derek2k3

August 8th, 2010, 03:23 PM

What's the next tower to rise in JC?

alex@newark

August 8th, 2010, 05:33 PM

Wait isnt newark still the most populated city in new jersey or did jc take that title away??

stache

August 8th, 2010, 06:36 PM

I think it's still Newark.

JCMAN320

August 10th, 2010, 05:57 PM

It is currently still Newark. The new census figures haven't been finalized yet.

Sid

August 11th, 2010, 03:53 AM

Does anyone know if a stop might ever be built on the HBLR line between Hoboken and Newport Mall to serve Target, Best Buy, Staples, etc.?

I think at about 14th Street would be a good spot. The walk from both Newport Mall and Hoboken Terminal, while not THAT long distance-wise is tedious ATM. I guess the walk from Hoboken Terminal to Target will improve a little once the far NE corner of J.C. across from Hob Terminal is finshed, but still, you'll be walking to the backside of the store.

Nexis4Jersey

August 12th, 2010, 03:04 AM

No , i highly doubt it. That would require millions , probably more then the Bayonne extension. You would need to reconfigure a switch and build an Elevated station.

Nexis4Jersey

August 15th, 2010, 05:28 PM

Does anybody have a list of planned JC Developments?

Sid

August 16th, 2010, 06:36 PM

What about in the far NW corner of Hoboken? Surely all those nasty bus parking lots and whatever other crap is up there will (or at least should) be replaced by urban developments when the economy improves. They've got the 9th street station, but that would be quite a hike from anything built north of 14th.

Sid

August 18th, 2010, 03:04 AM

Nexis, do you know if there's ever been consideration to extending the PATH north from 33rd Street terminus up to Times Square/Port Authority area? It would make a hell of a lot more sense for PATH passengers to be able to go all the way to Times Square rather than having to walk the last 10 minutes or take the NY subway one stop. It would also bring people to the 7 train and the Crosstown Shuttle, and would close the "loop" created by NJ Transit #126 and the PATH.

stache

August 18th, 2010, 03:57 AM

I don't think this will ever happen. MTA is not pleased that PATH operates that far into Manhattan. More likely that PATH will extend to Newark airport.
Here's an early PATH plan (H&M railroad).

Sid

August 18th, 2010, 09:36 AM

Why isn't MTA happy PATH extends that far into Manhattan? What do they care?

I just think it's silly that it stops half a mile short of 42nd Street.

stache

August 18th, 2010, 12:09 PM

Because they can't control it. Plus they are bitter that PATH is 50 cents less. As you can see from the map, if they had gone to 42nd. St. it would have been at Lexington, to connect to Grand Central.

Derek2k3

August 20th, 2010, 12:46 AM

Does anybody have a list of planned JC Developments?

Asked the same thing. Apparently nothing is being built.
The rising skyline of JC makes being on the NY waterfront more attractive, so keep building.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4908913285_cf27c36a2b_b.jpg

lucent

August 20th, 2010, 01:17 AM

Those high rise buildings on pavonia avenue in Jersey city behind the Newport Path station.. i'd like to live in them. are they apartments or are they condos for rent? what's the name of the apartments?

Sid

August 20th, 2010, 05:35 AM

I've tried a search, but can find NOTHING on what is planned for the far NE corner of JC, North of 14th Street and East of Washington Blvd. Does anyone know of plans, timelines, new streets, anything?

If completion of that land is years off, they should at least build a fenced-off pedestrian path along the northern edge of the property adjacent to the HBLR tracks so people who want to go to the Target store don't have to walk south all the way to 14th. I assume eventually 18th Street will be extended to the water?

Hopefully whatever is built is more urban than the rest of Newport, though the stuff along River Drive just south of there isn't bad. At least there is somewhat of a streetwall for a little bit.

JoeSas

August 20th, 2010, 09:49 AM

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/07/construction_to_start_on_downt.html

www.barcadejerseycity.com (http://www.barcadejerseycity.com)

Nexis4Jersey

August 20th, 2010, 01:54 PM

Alot of LRT is planned for the NJ Gold Coast....

Planned Hudson Bergen Light Rail Journal SQ line > Hoboken Terminal , Hoboken Ave / 16th Street , Route 139 / Palisades Ave , Route 139 / Central Avenue , Hoboken & JFK boulevard , Secaucus JCT should be opened by 2025 (connecting 10 Regional Rail lines and up to 20 bus lines)<Those stations aren't the official ones but there pretty close form what i'm told.

Proposed Hudson Bergen Light Rail 6th Street line , its up for debate due to corruption and bad deals > Newport , 6th & Erie , 6th & Monmouth , Newark Ave , Route 139 / Palisades Ave , Route 139 / Central Avenue , Hoboken & JFK boulevard , Secaucus JCT (Connecting 9 Regional Rail lines & up to 45 bus lines)

Proposed Journal SQ - Liberty State Park streetcar (connecting 2 light rail and 3 PATH lines)

Proposed Hoboken Streetcar , would run form Port Imperial to Hoboken Bus Terminal down Washington Street. (Connecting 10 Regional Rail lines , 2 PATH lines and 2 LRT lines.)

Proposed Hudson Bergen Light Rail extension to Cliffside Park(would connect 2 LRT lines and numerous bus lines. Also re leaving congestion on River Road.)

Planned Hudson Bergen extension into Staten Island > 8th Street Bayonne , Port Richmond , Randall Manor , New Brighton , ST. George Ferry Terminal

Most of this should be done by 2035 and most of this will happen form my HBLR friend. NJT wants to replaced congested Bus lines with higher capacity LRT / Streetcars. All of the Abandoned ROW in the NJ Gold Coast will be used , NJT owns alot of it already.

Sid

August 20th, 2010, 07:05 PM

Nexis4Jersey

August 21st, 2010, 08:05 PM

Eventually when Ridership goes up and more lines are added. They also plan on adding fare gates to the system , form what i heard there waiting for LA to showcase LRT Fare gating.

macmini

August 22nd, 2010, 02:59 PM

Nexis4Jersey

August 22nd, 2010, 04:08 PM

I noticed that the Newark Network everyone buys tickets , even if theres no one stationed at the station. I guess they know what happens if they don't.......HBLR which i ride 3x a week ive noticed that most ppl do. But the younger kids don't and some of the business ppl don't. They should put fare gates on the system now , ask Federal $$$. Or station a Transit Cop in every car , which should cost as much what there losing.

Sid

August 22nd, 2010, 06:58 PM

It's not the ridership it's people not paying their was an article about two months ago saying that the HBLR was losing money in part to people riding for free. Not that I need an article to tell me that if you ever ride the HBLR then you could see all the people getting on with no tickets.

How do you know all these people don't have tickets or a monthly pass in their pocket? Do you go around asking them?

For simplicity's sake, let's assume there are two groups of people:
1. those who always pay
2. those who never pay

If group 2 gets caught not paying an average of once out of every 30 times, and has to pay a $100 fine, that is more than the $63.00 they would have ended up paying if they had bought a ticket each time. Add in the additional cost of hiring more ticket-checkers, and I don't think they'd be any better off money-wise if they did what you suggest.

stache

August 22nd, 2010, 07:22 PM

The times I have ridden this (and I always validated my ticket) I could always find still current tickets people had left behind in the cars.

JCMAN320

August 23rd, 2010, 06:00 PM

The HBLR was every 15mins off peak but they increased it to 20 not because lack of ridership but due to the economy.

As for the Northeast corner of JC; Newport has planned to build the Ellipse designed by Arquitonica.

http://www.newportnj.com/pdf/master.pdf

As for the complaints with the honor system; just about ever Lightrail system in the world uses the honor system. I like the NJT is going to wait and see how LA fare gates go; but as for now HBLR operates just as any other lightrail system does.

As for new development, there are smaller projects being built such as small scale luxury rentals/condos and workforce housing is being built filling in gaps throughout neighborhoods in the city. The only big project that is being done are the Monaco Towers.

A new proposal has cropped up about taking down Avalon Cove to build towers there instead:
http://www.newyorkssixth.com/

Also very happy to hear about Barcade opening in JC. I had been to the one in Brooklyn and thought it was awesome! Another PLUS for JC!!

lofter1

August 27th, 2010, 12:37 AM

... the new gas pipeline (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/08/06/jersey_city_meatpacking_district_have_a_bad_case_o f_gas.php) proposed by Spectra Energy of Houston to run through JC (http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1280990421292470.xml&coll=3),
then across the river and into Manhattan ...

Proposed Gas Pipeline Sparks Opposition

Route Through New Jersey, Staten Island and Into Manhattan
Has Critics Worried About Safety; 'Leave Our City Out of It'

WALL STREET JOURNAL (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704540904575451764243911130.html?m od=WSJ_NY_LEFTTopStories)
By JOSEPH DE AVILA
AUGUST 26, 2010

A battle is heating up over a proposed natural-gas pipeline that would run through New Jersey and Staten Island before winding up in Manhattan.

Spectra Energy (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=SE) Corp., a Houston-based natural-gas company, wants to build 16 miles of new pipeline under Bayonne and Jersey City, N.J., Staten Island's North Shore and the Meatpacking District. It would also replace about five miles of existing pipeline that runs from Linden, N.J., to Staten Island.

Opponents say that the new pipeline would put environmentally sensitive areas at risk, would lower real-estate values and would pose an unacceptable safety hazard for the community. "Any kind of accident or disruption would be devastating toward the community," said Debbie Mans, director of the New York and New Jersey Baykeeper, a local preservation group.

The pipeline still requires approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Spectra, which has already met with community members to outline the project, says it will file its official application to build the pipeline in December.

If approved, construction would begin in 2012. The pipeline would be 42 inches in diameter and buried at least six feet underground. It would create about 600 construction jobs and be in operation for 2013, according to the company.

"This has been an area that has been restrained for natural-gas service for some time," said William Yardley, group vice president for Spectra. The new pipeline would transport up to 800 million cubic feet of gas per day.

"We are going to exceed the safety standards of the various governments," he added.

Natural-gas pipeline explosions are rare. There were 47 serious incidents and 14 fatalities along the nation's two million miles of natural-gas pipelines during 2009, according to the Department of Transportation, which regulates the industry. But some New Jersey and Staten Island residents fear a repeat of the 1994 rupture of a gas pipeline in Edison, N.J., that destroyed several apartment buildings and caused $25 million in damages.

The project has gained the most opponents in New Jersey where it has united a diverse array of critics. Preservation groups and the real-estate developer the LeFrak Organization are against the pipeline. The mayors of Bayonne and Jersey City oppose the plan, along with the Jersey City school superintendent and the president of the Jersey City Medical Center.

"It goes through some very attractive, valuable property," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said of the proposed route through his city. "It will be a tremendous disincentive to investments and development."

The route would also run close to PATH trains and the New Jersey Turnpike as well as schools and the city's main hospital, Mr. Healy said. "We think an alternate route would be much better," he said. "Run it under the Hudson River and leave our city out of it."

The pipeline's exact path has not been determined, Spectra's Mr. Yardley said.

The proposal has created a stir among residents on Staten Island's North Shore as well. "There is no value of running this valve through Staten Island for Staten Islanders," said Edward Josey, a lifelong resident of Clifton. "Why should we jump up and down for this thing coming through here?"

Building a pipeline through areas of Staten Island's North Shore that already has been contaminated with pollutants from industrial activity also raises a big concern, said Beryl Thurman, executive director of the North Shore Waterfront Conservatory of Staten Island. "It's the type of project that they are 60 years late in coming up with," Ms. Thurman said.

In Manhattan, the pipeline would connect to the existing ConEd facilities in the Meatpacking District, near the High Line park and the site where ground will be broken next year for the new Whitney Museum.

The city Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter in July to Spectra saying that the project would have serious impacts on water and sewer lines in Staten Island and in Manhattan. The company and the agency said they continue to meet to address these concerns.

The local Manhattan community board will meet on the project Oct. 5.

Copyright ©2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

JCMAN320

August 30th, 2010, 06:53 PM

Development near the border
Holland Tunnel region slowly starts to see new activity

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer
Jul 11, 2010

http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/383/assets/07jcborder11_1.jpg

The area between the entrance to the Holland Tunnel and the Jersey City/Hoboken border looks like a no-man’s land, compared to the luxury developments and pricey housing further south and north on the waterfront, including Newport, downtown Jersey City, and Hoboken.

But despite the hodgepodge of industrial warehouses, older housing, nondescript gas stations, and liquor stores, new businesses have opened in recent years near the tunnel, such as Home Depot and Buy-Rite Liquor Store, both on Manila Avenue in Jersey City. And new developments are in the works.

The first major development for that area, Van Leer Place on Hoboken Avenue – the site of a former chocolate factory – started construction last month, and others are on the drawing board.

Downtown City Councilman Steven Fulop, who represents the area, said last week that he welcomes more development of this area.

“There is no logical reason why that area has underachieved as it has over the years,” Fulop said. But he laid some the blame on property owners who he says have acquired properties over the years and are just “sitting” on them until the economy improves.

“It is a challenge for the city to figure out a way to motivate these property owners to go from just holding on to the property to development,” Fulop said.

Fulop said opportunities await developers in that area. He pointed to successful residential projects such as 700 Grove St., built by national developer Toll Brothers, and Zephyr Lofts at 689 Marin Blvd. He also commended Hoboken developers Danny Gans and George Vallone of Hoboken Brownstone Company for finally getting their Van Leer Place development on Hoboken Avenue off the ground.

Chocolate factory to energy-efficient residence

State and local officials – including Rep. Albio Sires (D-13th) and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy – were on hand for the June 21 groundbreaking at the soon-to-built Van Leer Place development. The 7-acre site is located at 110 Hoboken Avenue near the Jersey City-Hoboken border. The project has been over five years in the planning.

Before it was a chocolate factory, the site also served as a fuel oil facility and a pesticide plant.

Hoboken Brownstone Company says they will transform the land into a sustainable development expected to become a model of energy efficiency for new urban mixed-use residential projects in the Northeast and beyond. Van Leer Place will be the first development in the state to be developed within the Urban Energy Technology Demonstration Project program under the New Jersey energy master plan.

When completed in early 2015, the project will include more than 480 homes in two buildings, 8,700 square-feet of retail space, and on-site parking. A walkway will be built by NJ Transit to lead north to the Second Street light-rail station in Hoboken.

At the groundbreaking, Van Leer Place developer Vallone said the project was delayed because he and partner Gans were looking into various energy-efficient technologies they wanted to utilize. That includes a venting system for recycling groundwater for heating and cooling the buildings, and utilization of energy-efficient building material and solar panels.

“The project is special because of the array of energy-saving technologies being deployed, which is so different from the business-as-usual approach to constructing buildings of this nature before this day,” Vallone said.

Sires commended the developers for embarking on such an ambitious project.

“It takes innovative developers using state-of-the-art technology to accomplish these goals,” he said.

After the event, Vallone said investigating energy-saving technologies for the Van Leer Place project took three years. He said the remaining two years of delays resulted from “reading some economic forecasts” about the impending housing collapse, which made them hesitate for a bit. However, those forecasts predicted that the economy would improve around this time, so the developers are now going forward.

“We wanted to start build now so that when the project is complete, the economy will have improved and there will be a demand for housing,” Vallone said recently. “I think the unique project we will be bringing into the market will be a great alternative for the public.”

Other properties delayed?

Cars driving by the empty, fenced-off lot at 833 Jersey Ave. may not realize a luxury condo project was once slated for that location.

Approval was given by the Jersey City Planning Board in 2006 for an 84-unit building to be built on the site, situated across the street from the old Erie Lackawanna warehouse. The units would range in size from 834 to 2,339 square feet, with 10-foot high ceilings. Amenities include on-site parking and a gym.

The project is listed on the website of Wavestone Properties, a development company listed at First Street in Hoboken. But when a call was made to them last week, their phone service had been disconnected.

An Internet search led to a brief item on a blog, New York Sixth, from June 2008, saying the property was up for sale for $12 million.

The seller, Union City realtor Robert De Ruggiero, said recently that the property was put on the market by Wavestone, but has not attracted a buyer.

One block north of the 833 Jersey Ave. site is 843 Jersey Ave., an empty lot that abuts NJ Transit property under the light rail tracks running along the Jersey City-Hoboken border. The land is owned, according to city tax records, by ‘NEWPORT CITY DVLPT.C/O LEFRAK’ in Queens, N.Y. – as in the LeFrak organization, the builders of the Newport community in Jersey City. Calls to the New York offices of Richard and Jamie Lefrak, both principals in the LeFrak organization, were not returned by press time.

http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/8713337/article-Development-near-the-border-Holland-Tunnel-region-slowly-starts-to-see-new-activity-?instance=jersey_city_story_left_column

lofter1

August 30th, 2010, 08:07 PM

The Van Leer Place chocolate factory development (http://www.pr-inside.com/state-local-officials-mark-start-r1965581.htm) and proposed park at 110 Hoboken Avenue (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=safari&q=%22110+Hoboken+Avenue+jersey+city+NJ%22&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=110+Hoboken+Ave,+Jersey+City,+Hudson,+New+Je rsey+07307&gl=us&ei=4zN8TNKpJYWclgfR0f2vCg&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA&ll=40.734901,-74.029999&spn=0.024551,0.046735&z=15) looks to be situated right near where Spectra Energy has proposed (http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/06/spectra_energy_faces_tough_cro.html) the installation of the new gas pipeline ...

> Big detailed MAP of the proposed pipeine location in relation to Hoboken Avenue and the 18th Street route to the Hudson (http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/spectra-pipeline-jersey-city-newportjpg-427ca530367c8e6b.jpg)

> Close-up Google Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=safari&q=%22110+Hoboken+Avenue+jersey+city+NJ%22&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=110+Hoboken+Ave,+Jersey+City,+Hudson,+New+Je rsey+07307&gl=us&ei=4zN8TNKpJYWclgfR0f2vCg&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA&ll=40.733495,-74.047111&spn=0.006138,0.011684&z=17) showing location of the Van Leer development on Hoboken Avenue at 17th Street, just north of the 78 / 139 interchange.

The pipeline as proposed would run along the path of Hoboken Avenue, take a turn to the east near just SE of the Van Leer site, run east along 18th Street, dog-leg to the north past the Target on Washington and then, following the rail tracks, head across the Hudson River to Manhattan.

Nexis4Jersey

August 31st, 2010, 03:30 AM

Sid

September 1st, 2010, 04:50 AM

Is there any chance of improving service frequency any time soon at nights and on weekends on the HBLR? Right now each of the three legs only runs every 20 minutes. I'd like to see that get down to 15 minutes eventually.

So instead of improving service frequency, they've cut it so it now runs every 30 minutes after 8pm on weekdays on each of the three routes. And they've eliminated Hoboken-Tonnelle Avenue line completely on the weekends and holidays.

Who are these idiots in charge? These cuts will benefit nobody, and will only hurt ridership and customer convenience.

JCMAN320

September 1st, 2010, 02:48 PM

I know a guy who is running for councilman in Hoboken who is demanding the NJ Transit restore the direct Tonnelle Ave.-Hoboken Terminal service on weekends and holidays. Well see if it gets anywhere.

Jersey City woman proud to live in CANCOlofts, the reborn American Can factory where her grandparents met and toiled for years
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
By PATRICK VILLANOVA
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/tamijpg-c766ed2369f2c584_large.jpg
Doug Bauman/The Jersey Journal
Tami Wisniewski holds a photo of her grandparents while sitting in her CANCOlofts condo in Jersey City Friday.

A picture of Tami Wisniewski's grandparents is displayed prominently inside her chic one-bedroom condo unit at CANCOlofts in Jersey City.

It's the only photograph of the couple that Wisniewski's family still has, and while the picture belongs to Wisniewski's mother, it nonetheless feels at home inside the former American Can Company factory.

Wisniewski's grandparents, Agnes Hudak and Donald Diego, met during World War II while working at the Jersey City factory - the birthplace of the aluminum can and a symbol of the city's industrial past.

Located on Dey Street near the Pulaski Skyway, the building has been converted into the luxury CANCOlofts condos, which Wisniewski has called home since November.

"Immediately it was so different from anything else that I've seen, I fell in love with it," Wisniewski, 35, said during a recent interview. "The day I moved in we were sitting in my living room space joking around how funny it is that grandma could have worked in this apartment."

While the complex boasts an impressive 10,000 square feet of amenities, including a private gym, a small movie theater and plush lounges, the building also preserves its industrial past.

Standing inside her brightly painted home, Wisniewski points to the holes in the 14-foot ceilings that helped suspend conveyor belts from 1920 to the mid-'70s, when the factory was operational.

"It's a modern feel, but they kept the essence of the warehouse. It really does maintain the industrialized feel to it," she said.

Wisniewski's grandmother, who passed away in 2001, worked on the milk carton assembly line and lived with Wisniewski's family in Jersey City and Kearny until 1995. Her grandfather worked as a factory mechanic, but died when Wisniewski's mother was just a teenager.

Wisniewski recalls her grandmother pointing out the defunct factory while driving by on the Pulaski Skyway.

"It was very reminiscent of everything that was Jersey City when I think back to when I was a kid," Wisniewski said. "It was very big and imposing and you could see that there was a lot of presence to it."

With more than 200 one-and two-bedroom condos starting in the $300,000 range, CANCOlofts is a sign of Jersey City's redevelopment, Wisniewski said.

"I do think that those of us who have been in Jersey City for a really long time are in awe of what has occurred in this city," she said.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-10/128332236359120.xml&coll=3

JCMAN320

September 9th, 2010, 05:52 PM

New park across from CANCOlofts in Jersey City will brighten whole neighborhood when it opens next month

Thursday, September 09, 2010
By BRETT WILSHE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/canco2jpg-23b6d5f22c665228_large.jpg
Pamela Suchy/The Jersey Journal
Construction is proceeding on Dey Street in Jersey City for the new CANCOpark.

In the shadow of the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City a park is rising.

The new CANCOpark will replace the unused asphalt parking lot across the street from the CANCOlofts condominiums at 50 Dey St., said Jodi Stasse, director of sales and marketing for CANCOlofts.

"It's part of our master plan to enhance the whole neighborhood," Stasse added, noting the park will be open to the public.

Ground was broken on the park that will take up about a third of an acre on Aug. 11, said Stewart Osborne, director of development for Coalco, the builder of the loft complex.

The park, to be completed next month, will feature an "orchard" of trees that will be lit up at night by ground lighting, park benches, and a terraced layout, he said, noting that the park's perimeter will be lined with bamboo shoots in raised planters.

New York developer Coalco, which converted the American Can Company factory into CANCOlofts, is building the park in exchange for the city allowing a higher density in the development than is typically allowed.

This translates into taller buildings, and will secure extra floors on future towers, Jersey City Assistant Planner Maryann Bucci-Carter said at a City Council caucus in March.

Rodney Hadley, the city's director of the Division of Parks and Forestry, sees the park as a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

"There are not enough parks in that area, so it's ideal," he said. "Green space is needed there."

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-10/128401351042760.xml&coll=3

JCMAN320

September 9th, 2010, 06:00 PM

Downtown JC mini-golf course closes; 80K raised for museum
Sep 08, 2010 | 274 views |

JERSEY CITY -- The Golden Door Mini-Golf course was quite a sight for downtown Jersey City residents, young and old, who wanted to get in some putting fun.

That sight is no more. The course near Hamilton Park shut down officially at a closing party/fundraiser Tuesday night.

About 50 people attended the event, playing a nine-hole course designed by various artists.

The course opened in late June with a fundraiser for the Jersey City Museum. Donors paid dollar amounts designated for the golf holes targeted. Since then, the course was opened to the public for a $5 fee.

Developers Paul Silverman and his brother and developer partner Eric helped make the course a reality by donating land for the course as well as helping bring the artists together. Paul Silverman said on Tuesday about $80,000 was raised from the course that went toward the museum’s operations.

The museum has been in financial difficulty at least since last year, when it suffered over $400,000 in funding cuts and had to lay off its full-time staff. At one point, the museum was opened only one day a week but recently reverted back to a four-day a week operation schedule.

Silverman said he and his brother will work with the museum to raise more money in the future. Meanwhile, the land is eventually slated for a 200-unit residence. - RK

http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/9425170/article--Downtown-JC-mini-golf-course-closes--80K-raised-for-museum-?instance=up_to_the_minute_jersey

JCMAN320

September 9th, 2010, 06:19 PM

Powerhouse Lounge Set to Open Next Month in Former Rascals Space
By Laryssa Wirstiuk • Aug 26th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_2134.jpg
At right is the Powerhouse Lounge space; at left on the corner is the pizzeria space

“We could have come up with a trendier name,” says Jeff Favia of the Powerhouse Lounge’s straightforward nomenclature. “But we are committed to supporting and representing the Powerhouse Arts District.”

The restaurant and bar, which is now slated to open in late September after some construction delays, will be in the Marin Boulevard building that was once home to the Rascals on the Hudson comedy club.

Favia, a former owner of the York Street Tavern near Exchange Place, was brought on as a consulting manager for the Powerhouse Lounge by the property’s owner, Dimitri Goletsos.

The two men brought in a small group of local investors — mostly Favia’s friends — and broke ground in late March. They decided to preserve the brick interior and the sliding garage doors that will open to Marin Boulevard and outdoor patio seating.

“The building had a lot of potential,” Favia says. “It’s unique, and the high ceilings give it a cavernous feel.”

The team hopes the eclectic style and careful attention to architectural detail will appeal to local artists, and help provide a spark for the revitalization of the Powerhouse Arts District, where most of the past few years’ planned developments have yet to break ground. They even commissioned artist Thomas John Carlson, founder and director of Jersey City Art School, to paint a mural on the building’s exterior.

“Thomas was up there finishing the mural in the 90-degree heat,” says Favia, who adds that Carlson’s work has helped pique interest in the project. “A lot of people see the mural, and it makes them wonder what’s going on inside.”

Favia and his partners believe that the economy has affected how people choose to spend their money at bars and restaurants. So they’ve planned a tapas-style menu, where diners can sample many flavors without spending 15 to 20 dollars on one entree they may or may not enjoy.

“Our menu will feature mostly appetizer-size items, from sushi and brick-oven pizza to calamari and mini burgers,” he says. “I think it’s a good concept for the recession: good, simple, fresh food without pretension.”

As for the decor, he says, “our guests will be eating off coffee tables, on couches, at the bar, even under a tree.”

But in this rare case, the presence of a tree does not mean outdoor dining.

Instead, they’ve planted the 15-foot-tall live tree, which reaches the vaulted 20-foot ceiling, indoors. The tree, along with exposed wooden beams and the sunlight streaming through the skylights, gives the space an organic, homegrown feel. Other unique features include a computerized sound system, a “leaking” pipe waterfall, and three 50-inch televisions. “This isn’t a sports bar, but you can catch a big game if you’re looking for it,” Favia says.

Another unusual plan for the lounge involves transportation. Though the site sits just three and a half blocks from the Grove Street PATH station, Favia says they plan to use two shuttle vans that will provide taxi service to the rest of Downtown Jersey City, some parts of the Heights and Journal Square, and the southern part of Hoboken. While the details haven’t been ironed out yet, he says patrons would access the driver by calling an 800 number.

Meanwhile, the lounge’s adjacent corner space will function exclusively as a brick-oven pizzeria, similar to Favia’s now-closed Hoboken venture Favia Lite Cafe. It will seat about 30 and offer take-out service.

“We’ll play Italian music like Louis Prima and show live videos of the The Godfather,” he says.

More pics here:
http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/08/26/powerhouse-lounge-set-to-open-next-month-in-former-rascals-space/

lofter1

September 10th, 2010, 02:21 AM

Due they actually think they will be allowed to build this? On this Route with Everyone opposing it.....Staten Island , Bayonne , Jersey City and Manhattan don't want it , that tells you something. It passes under key routes into the city , no way this will get built....

They might say the proposed gas line is fairly risk free, but this evening in San Bruno California, just south of San Francisco, a 24" gas line exploded (http://www.examiner.com/sf-in-san-francisco/san-bruno-california-fire-gas-main-explodes-burns-san-francisco-bay-area-neighborhood) and destroyed an entire neighborhood, killing at least one ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS4cxNFQT0I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehINAaZcmak

Nexis4Jersey

September 10th, 2010, 08:45 PM

I think its time we revise these pipeline laws and rules. They should go through rural areas....not suburban and cities. These companies don't care about the ppl its all about the $$$

Newarkguy

September 11th, 2010, 08:46 PM

A similar pipe explosion occur'ed at a residential area in NJ years ago. Durnham apartments?? Edison or Woodbridge. Also, in LA, I believe.

lofter1

September 11th, 2010, 11:05 PM

Gas line explosions in the USA have occurred on pretty much an annual basis over the past 45 years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pipeline_accidents#United_States).

Here's the one in Durham Woods in Edison, NJ (http://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/13/nyregion/delay-is-reported-in-closing-pipe-after-edison-explosion.html?pagewanted=all) -- March 23, 1994

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyMbaZ9FVjA

JCMAN320

September 23rd, 2010, 04:25 AM

I just don't see this going through here. In all seriousness it's foolish and harmful. JC just sent a head of city OEM to San Bruno to take a look at the neighborhood and talk to officials out there to get a better understanding of went wrong.

On a more upbeat side a new business is opening up on Grove St.

Brian Dowling Brings Hoboken’s Park & Sixth to Grove & First in Jersey City
By Laryssa Wirstiuk • Sep 14th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/parksixthmain.jpg

Grandma’s kitchen isn’t the only place where a hungry person can find comfort food, according to Brian Dowling.

“Comfort food is food that makes you feel good,” says the owner and executive chef of Park & Sixth. “I love braising. I think of something that falls apart when you eat it. And that’s what I incorporate into my sandwiches and catering.”

Dowling has been serving comfort food in Hoboken since June 2009, at the original Park & Sixth, and he’ll be serving it in Jersey City, starting this month, at the restaurant’s new Grove Street location.

“We have the same menu as the Hoboken location, but there’s seating here,” says Dowling. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, Park & Sixth in Jersey City will transform from a specialty food store into a sit-down restaurant with a limited menu.

“I’m doing a ground short-rib burger here, which we don’t have in Hoboken,” he says. “It doesn’t travel well for takeout, and I’ve just been waiting for a chance to serve it.”

Appropriately named The Beast, the short-rib burger will be dressed with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, chipotle mayo, ketchup and a fried egg — no substitutions. Customers who order the burger will receive a complimentary Park & Sixth T-shirt.

On a stretch of Grove occupied mostly by Asian restaurants, a homestyle Polish joint, and a lively Cuban cafe, The Beast has little competition for the title of best burger. However, healthy eaters and vegetarians need not shy away from Park & Sixth.

“We have salads, and I do have a healthy menu. We make an eggplant burger and an all-vegetable sandwich called The Garden,” Dowling says. “I wanted the Hoboken location to be a specialty food store, but it morphed into a sandwich shop. I think the specialty foods will go over a little better here.”

Dowling says sandwich shop like it’s a bad thing. In reality, his brisket sandwich – red wine braised brisket with fresh melted mutz, on a baguette – is most likely Hoboken’s most popular sandwich. It’s also Dowling’s favorite. “It’s ridiculous; in June, we sold 450 of them,” he says.

With such overwhelming demand at the Hoboken location, Dowling couldn’t help but open a Jersey City store too. It helped that many businesses in Downtown Jersey City were already placing large take-out orders from the Hoboken store.

“To execute and deliver in a timely fashion, we thought we might as well open another store, closer to Downtown Jersey City,” he says. “Plus, I live down here, and I originally wanted to open the store in Jersey City. I just couldn’t find a space at the time.”

That space opened last fall, when Bagua Juice closed down. Dowling, who has lived in Jersey City since 2003, says he’s happy to open up shop in his adopted hometown.

“I love the diversity, the people, the restaurants here. The customer base is a little more artsy, more cerebral,” he says. “Locals have been stopping in, saying ‘I can’t wait’ and ‘There’s nothing like it down here’. There are some great places like Taqueria and Ibby’s in the neighborhood, but my place is unique.”

And Dowling’s claim stretches from food to decor as well. Among the one-of-the-kind decorations gracing his Grove Street space is a vintage World Trade Center subway sign that reads “Trains to New Jersey;” it hangs above the self-serve coffee bar. Dowling purchased the sign from a vendor who was selling them illegally on Houston Street in Manhattan. (The vendor has since been arrested.)

In addition, Dowling has also reserved an entire wall for local artists to showcase their works.

“I went down to the art [supply store] and just said, you know, bring some stuff, introduce me to some local artists — there are a lot of local artists,” he says. “We’d love to be involved, have art shows, maybe do hors d’oeuvres.”

Dowling is planning for a mid-September opening, but the exact date depends on city inspections. A veteran to opening new stores, he admits that, no matter how much you know about the business, you will make mistakes in the beginning. As such, he will host a grand opening after Park & Sixth has been open for a few weeks.

“I’ve taken what has worked from my other stores and brought it to a location with more foot traffic,” Dowling says. “I’ve definitely seen this neighborhood morph into something like the East Village in Manhattan. More people are going to move here. I think it’s only going to get stronger.”

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/09/14/brian-dowling-brings-hobokens-park-sixth-to-grove-first-in-jersey-city/

parkandsixth.com

JCMAN320

September 23rd, 2010, 04:42 AM

Food Coop Initiative Aims to Bring More Fresh, Local Food to Jersey City
By Michelle Weber • May 7th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food, News

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Gillian Allen and her family relocated from Brooklyn to Jersey City in 2001, settling down in the Greenville section of Ward F. She quickly came to love her new home, savoring the close-knit feeling and rich history of her adopted community, along with the small-town vibe that Jersey City neighborhoods can have.

Along with the neighborliness and diversity, she found the opportunity to participate in the civic and economic life of the city in a way that doesn’t always materialize to residents of larger cities. Along the way, she also realized that the neighborhood presented challenges, like violent crime, underperforming schools and corrupt local officials.

Now she’s intent on taking one of the challenges — an inadequate supply of quality food available in her predominantly minority, economically challenged community — and turning it into an opportunity.

“My family would and could travel by car to the stores in other wards that carried the better quality foods, but for those without this form of transport this idea is very challenging,” Allen says. “Additionally, this food of better quality would cost much more than its industrialized counterpart, making it unaffordable to those whose monthly income is not only meager but fixed. Those who cannot afford to leave our community are subjected to limited and substandard food options.”

Growing up in a Seventh Day Adventist household with West Indian parents, Allen was raised with a love of fresh, healthy foods. As a current mother of two, she draws on her upbringing when making dietary decisions for her family, a major driver in her mission to bring fresh, local, organic foods to her community.

A major food revelation came for Allen after she left corporate American in 2002 to care for her children full time.

“We were a family of fast living in a very fast paced environment — leaving home at 6:45 am and returning home at 7 pm and eating anything that we could microwave,” she explains. “When we took the opportunity to slow down and honestly look at the areas where our family suffered, we realized that we were speeding through the fundamentals of family, like meal preparation.”

While Allen has no formal background in food retailing or production, she’s committed to creating the healthy attitude toward food that she strives to cultivate in her own family. Her answer to the problems she sees in her community and her personal commitment to eating well and sustainably: The Jersey City Food Coop Initiative (JCFC).

The idea is to combine “healthy, reasonably priced, mindfully selected grocery options with cooperative practices,” thereby taking “an immediate, active role in supporting a passionate, local, diverse community,” as the JCFC’s guiding statement says.

“Change at a grassroots level is the only way to participate in the necessary and fundamental global movement towards protecting our world,” the statement continues. “Sustaining natural resources, providing ethically produced, local food options, respecting our suppliers, caring for our customers, and participating as positive citizens in our community at large, are the motivations behind JCFC.”

Allen, along with the JCFC’s co-founders and steering committee currently guiding the project, sees the co-op as more than simply a store, although it is certainly that, and more than just a chance to improve the health of Jersey City residents. The greater vision is one of community, the affinity of people who care about that quality of their food and how it is produced.

“We hope to create a community of tolerance and understanding around food and its importance in our lives,” Allen says.

Currently, it’s difficult for Allen to meet her food needs in her immediate environs; most of her food sources are in the downtown area, with occasional forays into Bayonne, Westfield or even back to Brooklyn. She hopes the co-op will change this, giving residents the opportunity to feed themselves well while they support local producers and a local business. Since the store will be structured as a cooperative, it will be member-owned and operated, so members will be invested in a direct way, dedicating their own time and energy to the project.

The organization is still in its infancy, discussing its formation, exploring potential members and determining the location and overall feasibility of the project; Allen estimates that it will take anywhere from 18 months to two years before the co-op’s doors are open. Still, it has quickly gained support and wisdom from a handful of dedicated local residents, Rising Tide Capital and has a 200-person-and-growing email list of prospective members and/or volunteers.

The project is currently supported financially by Allen and the steering committee, as they search for local support and grants targeted at food co-ops. A series of fundraisers, including a June 11 wine tasting, are planned, as is the collection of membership fees from interested parties.

The organizers are also in the process of exploring sources for the food that will ultimately be sold, using a clear set of criteria: farmers and vendors within 100 miles of Jersey City who share the JCFC vision — healthy, fresh and cost-conscious — and are willing to work directly with the organization. In this they’ll rely on the community as well, tapping them for vendor ideas and seeking suppliers from amongst those who already participate in the city’s seasonal farmers markets.

Along with the concrete goals of providing high-quality food for Jersey City residents — particularly in the underserved neighborhoods — the co-op is simultaneously working on bigger long-term plans, looking for ways to serve each of Jersey City’s neighborhoods through JCFC’s infrastructure.

“This idea of a food co-op in Jersey City has been a collective thought for quite some time,” Allen says. “I am exceedingly grateful to those in this city who are willing put in the necessary work to create a community that genuinely cares to make quality food accessible to the ’least of these’ in our society.”

For more on the Jersey City Food Coop Initiative, or to get involved, visit the JCFC website:http://www.jcfoodcoop.com/

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/05/07/food-coop-initiative-aims-to-bring-more-fresh-local-food-to-jersey-city/

JCMAN NOTE:There is another Food co-op here in JC as well. It's called Downtown Co-op check it out and support it as well JCFC too. These are great additions to the community and will help our residents get access to terrific organic food. (http://downtowncoop.com/)

JCMAN320

September 30th, 2010, 06:56 PM

NBC 4 video by Brian Thompson about the proposed pipeline.

San Bruno: NJ Worries It Could Happen Here | NBC New York
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/station/as-seen-on/San_Bruno__NJ_Worries_It_Could_Happen_Here_New_Yor k.html

JCMAN320

September 30th, 2010, 10:09 PM

Skin care company, maker of Hydroxatone, brings 310 workers to Jersey City
Published: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 8:33 PM Updated: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 8:41 PM
Karina Arrue/The Jersey Journal

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Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
On Tuesday, the Atlantic Coast Media Group, makers of Hydroxatone, cut the ribbon for the company's new headquarters at 499 Washington Blvd. in Jersey City. The company's founders Thomas Shipley (left) and Andrew Surwilo listen to Mayor Jerramiah Healy speak.

The Atlantic Coast Media Group -- creators of skin care products such as Hydroxatone, Hydrolyze and Luminique -- cut the ceremonial ribbon on their new headquarters in the Newport section of Jersey City on Tuesday night.

"We are pleased to welcome such a vibrant and growing company to our city and look forward to a productive future together," Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said.

Healy and a host of other local officials, along with Linda Kellner, acting director of the state's Business Action Center, helped the company celebrate its new digs at 499 Washington Blvd.

The company moved a total of 310 employees -- the management team as well as call center workers -- to the location from Hoboken. Another 30 employees work out of a warehouse facility in the Journal Square area, ACMG spokesman Matt Schapiro said.

The company, founded in 2005, worked out of the Hoboken Business Center at 50 Harrison St. for nearly five years but outgrew the space, Schapiro said.

The company was recently listed in Inc. Magazine's "2010 Inc. 500" edition as having had a 611 percent growth over the last three years, and founders Andrew Surwilo and Thomas Shipley were recently named finalists for Ernst & Young's 2010 Entrepreneurs of the Year Award.

The personal care company is focused on meeting "the personal and lifestyle improvement needs of Baby Boomers," according to its website. Its best-known product -- Hydroxatone -- is a four-step skin care system that aims to "rejuvenate the skin."

"We are so thrilled to be welcomed to our new home in Jersey City and appreciate the opportunity to do business here," Shipley said. "To provide jobs at this crucial time for New Jersey's families is truly a privilege we take very seriously."

The company will receive $3.69 million over the next 10 years from the state's Business Employment Incentive Program, based on an anticipated creation of 304 jobs, said New Jersey Economic Development Authority spokeswoman Erin Gold.

The company is not specifically required to hire from Jersey City, but will seek to fill its jobs locally, Schapiro said.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/09/skin_care_company_maker_of_hyd.html

JCMAN320

October 19th, 2010, 05:20 PM

Jersey City to get its own slice of Hoboken's "Cake Boss"

Published: Friday, October 15, 2010, 3:45 PM Updated: Friday, October 15, 2010, 4:34 PM
Katie Colaneri/The Jersey Journal

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Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal
Buddy Valastro of the reality TV show, "Cake Boss, " in Hoboken, arrives in Bayonne to deliver the cake to Buon Appetito Restaurant in Bayonne where reality series "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is holding a belated Mother's Day celebration for her mother, Helen.

Jersey City will soon be getting its own slice of Hoboken's "Cake Boss."

Sometime next year, Buddy Valastro will be expanding his century-old family baking business to the Lackawanna Center, an 8-story industrial building outside the Holland Tunnel on Grove Street in Jersey City.

The "Boss" will take over 30,000 square feet on the ground floor of the Center in order to build a state-of-the-art baking facility and distribution center. A larger headquarters for the bakery's administrative offices is also in the works.

The storefront at Carlo's City Hall Bakery on Washington Street in Hoboken will remain to serve customers and of course, for tapings of the TLC reality series now in its third season.

"It's exciting...," said Jonathan Ratner, Vice President of Emmes Asset Management, LLC which co-owns the Lackawanna Center. "He now has international demand and he's basing his business expansion out of our property."

It is not yet clear when the Valastro's will be moving in, but construction has already begun on their new digs.

http://media.nj.com/hobokennow_impact/photo/8967628-large.jpg
Courtesy of Emmes Asset Management
A rendering of the Shops at Lackawanna, a new retail project that could bring several new businesses to the Lackawanna Center in Jersey City.

"Cake Boss" is one of several new tenants who could be moving into the Lackawanna Center in the coming years. Emmes Asset Management is in the planning stages of a new project called "the Shops at Lackawanna" which aims to revamp the ground floor of the building with 200,000 square feet of new retail businesses.

The plan will have to go through the Jersey City Planning Commission before construction can begin, which could take some time, according to Ratner.

The building owners have also begun a four-phase capital improvement project. Phase one has already started with infrastructure and elevator improvements. Next up, construction will begin on two new parking lots with room for 300 spaces each.

http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2010/10/jersey_city_to_get_its_own_sli.html

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Hoboken's "Cake Boss" receives a warm welcome to his new home: Jersey City

Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 3:41 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 4:13 PM
Katie Colaneri/The Jersey Journal

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Katie Colaneri/The Jersey Journal
"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro poses with three of his sisters, employees of their family business Carlo's City Hall Bakery in Hoboken. Today, the family was welcomed to the future location of their expanded baking facility at the Lackawanna Center in Jersey City.

The Lackawanna Center, an 8-story industrial building outside the Holland Tunnel, was transformed today into the set of a future "Cake Boss" episode as politicos, bankers, developers and real estate agents gathered to welcome the famed baker to his new home in Jersey City.

Last week, Emmes Asset Management, LLC, the building's co-owner, announced its new tenant who has leased 30,000 square feet of the building's ground floor for a new state-of-the-art baking facility, distribution center and office headquarters.

"We've outgrown the space in Hoboken," said Valastro who arrived at the Lackawanna Center with the TLC camera crew, producers and three of his sister in tow.

"It's very exciting," said his sister Grace Faugno. "It's a prime space in a prime location... Our Dad would have been so proud."

The famiglia vowed never to close their father's original storefront on Washington Street in Hoboken, Carlo's City Hall Bakery, where the "Boss" currently employs 130 people in 7,000 square feet of space.

Despite the fame, "I still feel like a baker from New Jersey," Valastro told the crowd that gathered inside the building which included Congressman Albio Sires, Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy and several members of the Jersey City Council.

"We think that somebody like Buddy Valastro, we think that he can be a magnet for other tenants to come," said Healy.

Emmes is also in the initial planning stages of a new project called the "Shops at Lackawanna" which would bring several retail businesses to the ground floor of the building.

Today's welcome event will be featured as an episode on "Cake Boss" Season 4 in March.

http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2010/10/hobokens_cake_boss_receives_a.html

JCMAN320

October 20th, 2010, 10:47 PM

Jersey City is recipient of $2.3 million federal grant to fund planning for 7,000-unit development on 111-acre Garfield Avenue 'wasteland'

Published: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 9:15 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 9:20 PM
Karina Arrue/The Jersey Journal

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Star-Ledger file photo
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez was among officials present in Jersey City today for the announcement that the county seat would receive $2.3 million to plan the Canal Crossing residential development off of Garfield Avenue near the Turnpike extension.

A sprawling, contaminated industrial wasteland in the southeast section of Jersey City is another step closer to revitalization, officials said yesterday.

National and local officials gathered at 824 Garfield Ave. to announce that Jersey City has been awarded a combined $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Sustainable Community/TIGER II Planning Grant is intended to reduce barriers to achieving affordable, economically vital, and sustainable communities, officials said.

"'Sustainability' means tying the quality and location of housing and transportation to broader opportunities, like access to good jobs, quality schools, and safe streets," U.S. Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrion, said.

In Jersey City, the grant will help fund Canal Crossing, a 111-acre redevelopment area that is bounded by NJ Turnpike Extension to the east, Garfield Avenue to the west, and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system to the north.

The area is surrounded by a residential population of predominantly minority households with high unemployment and high poverty rates, according to a press release from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

The Canal Crossing Project was chosen out of 225 applicants from around the country, Carrion said, adding that $2.3 million is "a significant share" of the $68 million that HUD and DOT are awarding to different projects nationally. The city is the sole recipient of the grant in the state.

The Canal Crossing Project calls for a residential mixed-use, transit-oriented community with access to open space. A total of 7,000 residential units, 630 of them dedicated to affordable housing, will be built, officials said.

After a chromium cleanup of the area is completed in about four years, the grant will be used to pay for engineering and infrastructure planning, among other items, JCRA Executive Director Robert Antonicello said.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, and U.S. Reps Albio Sires and Donald Payne were also on hand for yesterday's press conference.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/10/jersey_city_is_recipient_of_23.html

JCMAN320

October 26th, 2010, 09:44 PM

Planned Jersey City mixed-income housing complex gets $650,000 in corporate donations

Monday, October 18, 2010
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Two companies, PSE&G and Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, have pledged $650,000 toward the planned construction of a mixed-income housing complex in Jersey City with a 24,000-square-foot supermarket on the ground floor.

PSE&G has contributed $500,000 toward the project in the Bergen Hill section of Jersey City and Horizon Blue Cross/BlueShied has contributed $150,000, officials said at a Sept. 24 event announcing the contributions.

"PSE&G has consistently proven their investment and belief in this community," said Michele Massey, chair of Bergen Communities United, a community group run by WomenRising Inc., a Jersey City-based nonprofit that helps women achieve financial self sufficiency and affordable housing.

The project is being planned for Monticello Avenue between Fairview and Fairmount avenues and the donations make it possible to break ground before the end of the year, said Michelangelo Russo, president of Whiton Street Associates, the project's developer. Russo expects construction to be completed by November 2012.

"I think it's really going to be an economic engine for the whole community," said Vaughn McKoy, president of the PSE&G Foundation.

Shelley's supermarket will move into the street-level store from its current location at 700 Bergen Ave., said owner Scott Geller.

The new supermarket will have a mezzanine level with an upscale coffee bar, couches, 50 to 60 tables, free WiFi and a conference room open to all community groups.

The main floor of the market will have fresh prepared foods, fresh fish and meat counters, sushi, a bakery, and expanded produce, dairy and frozen sections, Geller said.

The building will also have 120 apartments - 24 of them for moderate-income rentals ($515 a month for a one-bedroom, $616 for a two-bedroom); and 96 market rate units ($1,700 a month for a two-bedroom, $1,300 for a one-bedroom).

Whiton Street Associates will receive a 30-year tax abatement on the project, officials said.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-11/128738315353140.xml&coll=3

JCMAN320

October 26th, 2010, 09:56 PM

Trump condo tower in Jersey City increases sales this year

Monday, October 18, 2010
By KARINA L. ARRUE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

In a bid to boost sales, Trump Plaza Residences in Jersey City, the state's tallest residential building, has redesigned common areas, added new landscaping and new furnishings to the pool and cabana area on the seventh floor, and has a new model condo unit to show off.

"The changes have helped in the identity of the building as a Trump residence," said John Paszamant, sales director for Stasse and Company, the agent for the 55-story tower.

A new two-bedroom model residence - inspired by the work of teams that designed a condo at the tower for an episode of "HGTV Design Star" this past summer - was recently installed to entice prospective buyers.

"Being able to show (potential buyers) how their furniture and belongings will fit into their home is priceless," said Jodi Stasse, the principal at Stasse and Company.

And perhaps the aggressive marketing campaign has paid off:

The tower, which was completed in 2008, has sold 288 out of 443 units.

Paszamant says they have probably sold four times more so far this year than in all of 2009. Approximately 50 homes have sold since January and about 20 of them were sold during the summer months, which is typically a slow time for real estate sales, he said.

And a key commercial tenant is moving in.

Buon Italia, a wine bar and market that sells imported groceries and prepared foods, recently signed a lease for some of the tower's retail space, Paszamant said.

The business, whose flagship store is located in Chelsea in Manhattan, will open around the first of the year, he said, adding that a dentist's office and an organic nail salon are also slated to open around the same time.

Pricing for homes at the plush residence range from the mid-$400,000s for one-bedrooms, the mid-$600,000s for two-bedroom units on up to $930,000 for a three-bedroom home at the penthouse level.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-11/128738312653140.xml&coll=3

JCMAN320

October 27th, 2010, 11:16 PM

Pioneering green development moves one step closer to fruition in Jersey City

Published: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 7:59 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 9:52 PM
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/8996505-large.jpg
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal
Developers George Vallone, left, and Daniel Gans, owners of Hoboken Brownstone Company, outside the Planning Board meeting tonight, Oct. 26, 2010, after presenting the final site plan for their project.

A 400-unit pioneer in environmentally friendly development in downtown Jersey City is one step closer to fruition after the Jersey City Planning Board approved the final site plan for the development at tonight’s meeting.

Van Leer Place aims to use 90 percent less energy than a conventional building and emit fewer carbon emissions, by harnessing geothermal and solar energy as well as other green technologies, said Daniel Gans who is developing the property with his partner George Vallone of the Hoboken Brownstone Company.

The new development will be linked to the Hoboken Second Street Light Rail by roughly a half-mile walkway.

Gans and Vallone have developed more than a dozen properties in Hoboken. But for this project they are moving a few blocks across the border to redevelop the former Van Leer Chocolate Factory at 110 Hoboken Ave.

The development, called Van Leer Place, will consist of two six-story buildings -- a rental building on the north side of Hoboken Avenue and condos on the south -- 7,500 square feet of retail space, a rooftop garden and a 1.5-acre public park that includes a dog run.

Although some units will have views of The Empire State Building, the project was kept to six stories so it would not block the views from The Heights, said Michael A. Ryan, the Planning Board’s chairman.

One new technology the building will use employs heat exchangers 500 feet deep to harness the constant 55 degree temperature below ground. The geothermal technology would cool the building in the summer and heat it in winter.

Roofs will be covered with solar panels to generate electricity, and solar water heaters would heat water tanks.

The development is also using “autoclaved” concrete made with air pockets that will make the walls particularly well insulated. The material is widely used in Europe but is rare in the United States.

The site, previously home to pesticide plant, is a brownfield industrial site which is currently being remediated.

The technology is so unique that the state legislature is considering bills that would designate the development one of the first “Urban Energy Technology Demonstration” projects under the New Jersey's energy master plan. In addition, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities awarded the project a $3.6 million grant designated for developing alternative energy sources.

Although a stone’s throw from the gentrified townhouses and new development in Newport, downtown Jersey City and Hoboken, the site of Van Leer Place is still industrial.

“We’re excited about the area,” said Gans, who praised its proximity to both Jersey City and Hoboken. “We think it’s a location that has a lot of opportunity for growth and development.”

Vallone said he liked the spot because it gets relatively little traffic and faces the Palisades, which he called “a magnificent geological formation.”

“He likes the country-ness of the job and I like the urban-ness of the job,” said Gans.

According to Gans, construction will begin by the end of the year. He said he expects to complete the first phase of the project, the rental building, by the end of 2012.

The plan was approved by the board after Gans and Vallone agreed to open a temporary dog run along with the first phase of the project until the permanent one is completed with the second phase.

“People have dogs and they need dog runs,” said Ryan.

Ryan added that was excited to see the project move forward.

“It’s going to change the whole landscape of that area. There’s a light rail station there doing nothing. We have to develop it. Plus they have the cliffs there. It’s a beautiful spot,” he said.

The vote was 7-0 with commissioners Michael Sims and Councilwoman Nidia Lopez (who was at the City Council caucus) absent.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/10/jersey_city_green_building_mov.html

JCMAN320

November 1st, 2010, 03:48 AM

State-of-the-art green development gets go-ahead in Jersey City

Published: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 7:38 PM Updated: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 8:39 PM
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/9010084-large.jpg
Artist rendering of Van Leer Place, a future development in Jersey City by the Hoboken Brownstone Company.

A pioneering environmentally-friendly development in Downtown Jersey City is one step closer to fruition after the Jersey City Planning Board approved the final site plan on Tuesday.

Van Leer Place will use 90 percent less energy than conventional buildings and emit fewer carbon emissions through geothermal and solar energy as well as other green technologies, said Daniel Gans who is developing the property with his partner George Vallone of the Hoboken Brownstone Company.

Gans and Vallone have developed more than a dozen properties in Hoboken. But for this project they are moving across the boarder to redevelop the former Van Leer Chocolate Factory at 110 Hoboken Ave. The site, previously home to pesticide plant, is a brownfield industrial site that is being remediated.

Van Leer Place will consist 400 units in two six-story buildings -- a rental building on the north side of Hoboken Avenue and condos on the south -- 7,500 square feet of retail space, a rooftop garden and a 1.5-acre public park that includes a dog run. It will be linked to the Hoboken Second Street Light Rail by roughly a half-mile walkway.

Although some units will have views of The Empire State Building, the project was kept to six stories so it would not block the views from The Heights, said Michael A. Ryan, the planning board's chairman.

"It's going to change the whole landscape of that area," he added. There's a light rail station there doing nothing. We have to develop it. Plus they have the cliffs there. It's a beautiful spot."

The green technology is so unique that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities designated it one of the first "Urban Energy Technology Demonstration" projects and gave it a $3.6 million alternative energy grant.

The complex will use "heat exchangers" buried 500 feet deep below ground. The equipment harnesses the constant 55-degree temperature below ground to cool the building in the summer and heat it in winter.

Roofs will be covered with solar panels to generate electricity, and solar water heaters will heat water tanks. The development is also using "autoclaved" concrete made with air pockets that will make the walls particularly well insulated.

According to Gans, construction will begin by the end of the year. He said he expects to complete the first phase of the project, the rental building, by the end of 2012.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/10/state-of-the-art_green_develop.html

stache

November 1st, 2010, 07:21 AM

Wow is that ugly.

Nexis4Jersey

November 3rd, 2010, 07:23 AM

I must say JC has some of the most generic buildings of any city in the Northeast. There so ugly and most of them look the same. At least in the newer parts of JC , look at Baltimore and Philly and New Brunswick they get unique looking buildings and a bigger variety....

arcman210

November 4th, 2010, 09:27 PM

Was recently wondering what ever became of that Rem Koolhaus project at 111 First Street??

STT757

November 5th, 2010, 05:52 PM

After nearly 2 years on the market, Jersey City's Crystal Point now 70 percent sold

JERSEY CITY: Crystal Point, the ambitious luxury high-rise with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, is now 70 percent sold, according to a report in the Jersey Journal.
Seven units in the waterfront condominium complex, each costing more than $1 million, have been snatched up by buyers, a developer told the publication.
That represents a big improvement over last June, when only 9 percent of the development was sold. The high-end real estate market in Jersey City has languished in recent years, with newly-completed projects unable to attract as many buyers as developers had anticipated.
"There is such a backlog of product on the market in Jersey City that to have someone be 70 percent sold out, I think they’re doing pretty darn well," said Jeff Kaplowitz, a realtor and former Planning Board member, told the Journal.
The troubled project came into the spotlight last summer when K. Hovnanian filed lawsuit against Jersey City, alleging that a tax abatement deal the city granted the Crystal Point effectively gave it an unfair competitive edge. the report said.

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/11/after_nearly_2_years_on_the_ma.html

JCMAN320

November 8th, 2010, 06:00 PM

Internet giant Amazon.com purchases Jersey City based ecommerce company

Published: Monday, November 08, 2010, 10:36 AM Updated: Monday, November 08, 2010, 11:27 AM
Ashley Strain/The Jersey Journal

Tech Crunch, a leading technology blog, has confirmed that one of the most trafficked websites on the internet, Amazon.com has purchased Quidsi, operator of Diapers.com for $545 million, in a recent post.

Quidsi's operates several websites out of Jersey City including Diapers.com, Soap.com and BeautyBar.com. These websites sell baby care items, health and beauty products and household essentials that can be delivered overnight.

Quidsi has become the go-to website for online shopping for its reputation of maintaining the efficiency and value of a national retailer without the hassle of having to drive to the store. The company's annual revenue has been estimated at $300 million.

The Amazon take-over isn't expected to occur until the end of the year, and until then Quidsi will continue to run independently.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/11/internet_giant_amazoncom_purch.html

JCMAN320

November 9th, 2010, 03:59 PM

Jersey City May Expressly Prohibit Natural Gas Pipelines in 10 Redevelopment Zones
By Douglas Carlucci • Nov 9th, 2010 • Category: Blog, News, Politics

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/themes/mimbo2.2/images/spectra0805featured.jpg

Jersey City’s City Council is set to introduce ten ordinances this week amending the city code to specifically prohibit natural gas pipelines in certain redevelopment zones.

“Natural gas pipelines are an unwanted use in the area,” the simple rationale for each modification reads.

The ordinances are a response to the proposal by Houston-based Spectra Energy to expand a high-volume wholesale natural gas pipeline from Staten Island sixteen miles through Bayonne and Jersey City.

The proposed pipeline would roughly follow the path of the Turnpike Extension through Jersey City before turning east near 18th Street to run under the Hudson River to a Con Edison plant on Manhattan’s West Side.

The ordinances would simply amend current laws to prohibit natural gas pipelines in ten redevelopment zones along the proposed route: the Bates Street Redevelopment Plan, the Caven Point Redevelopment Plan, the Grand Jersey Redevelopment Plan, the Greenvile Industrial Redevelopment Plan, the Jersey Avenue Light Rail Redevelopment Plan, the Jersey Avenue Park Redevelopment Plan, the Jersey Avenue Tenth Street Redevelopment Plan, the Liberty Harbor Redevelopment Plan, the Montgomery Street Redevelopment Plan and the Morris Canal Redevelopment Plan.

The ordinances also include small changes to procedures for reviewing building plans in the zones.

The council has already passed a resolution stating its official opposition to the Spectra proposal, and the Healy administration is strongly opposed to the plan.

Under federal law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is granted sole authority to approve or deny permits for interstate natural gas transportation infrastructure. If FERC grants Spectra a permit to build the pipeline, under the Natural Gas Act of 1978 the commission is entitled to invoke eminent domain against property owners unwilling to yield property to the pipeline’s right-of-way, likely trumping actions like this taken by the City Council.

But city officials say that by formally stating that the pipeline is contrary to the city’s redevelopment agenda, the ordinances would create a record of opposition to the pipeline by the council and planning officials that could benefit future litigation.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy has vowed that the city will file as an “intervenor” against the pipeline proposal, a status that would give the municipal government access to FERC proceedings and would grant the city standing in federal court to appeal FERC decisions.

Although intervenor status is not automatically conferred, the Natural Gas Act specifically recognizes municipal governments and federal courts have ruled that municipalities have a general right to file as intervenors.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/11/09/jersey-city-may-expressly-prohibit-natural-gas-pipelines-in-10-redevelopment-zones/

JoeSas

November 14th, 2010, 09:49 AM

there are a few buildings getting redone on Newark Ave near Grove St. They look like pretty good renovations to historic buildings. nice to see the south side of Newark finally getting a bit of a facelift, though I can't wait until all of those buildings getting redone along C Columbus and that mural is gone.

JCMAN320

November 15th, 2010, 06:16 PM

A Waterfront Setting Inspires Nautical Themes at Jersey City’s Maritime Parc
By Laryssa Wirstiuk • Oct 4th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_2266.jpg
The open kitchen at Maritime Parc

The latest upscale American restaurant to open in Jersey City, Maritime Parc, is a little different than earlier comers. For one, it sits inside Liberty State Park, with its excellent views of Manhattan. It’s also enormous, with three full floors of space inside its massive gray octagonal building.

“I recently turned 40, and I wanted to do something different,” Maritime Parc executive chef Chris Siversen says. “I saw the sign ‘Space Available’ and wondered what I could do with a 30,000 square foot building with two floors of event space.”

Siversen, a former chef with the Glazier Group, brought his expertise and experience to New Jersey, not too far from the restaurants in Manhattan where he mastered his craft.

“I’m blessed to come to work every day in a serene marina,” he says. “I love New Jersey, but my heart is also in New York City. This is the perfect mix.”

Acquired about a year ago, the Liberty State Park space has evolved into a 190-seat American restaurant, with emphasis on seafood and local, seasonal offerings. According to Siversen, the menu will change every few months.

All meat is locally sourced — chicken, quail, squab, pheasant, pork, and lamb come from farms in New Jersey. The restaurant is working with Zone 7, a service that connects chefs with New Jersey and Pennsylvania-based organic and sustainable farms.

Menu highlights include a raw bar and appetizers like grilled squid with harissa oil, warm olives, arugula, and cured lemon vinaigrette. Star entrees (ranging from $22-$36) include pan-roasted black cod and rib eye steak with bone marrow. Duck fat garlic fries are a heavenly indulgence, and Mash Potato Rings combine the eatability of onion rings with the homey, comforting taste of mashed potatoes.

Designed by mixologist Greg Seider, of Manhattan’s acclaimed Summit Bar, the creative cocktails are named after ships that were wrecked along the New Jersey coastline. At a launch dinner last week, Maritime Parc’s friendly bartenders urged me to try the San Saba, a blend of Correlejo Blanco tequila, pineapple puree, a hint of jalapeno and fresh lime juice, served on the rocks. The bar also offers a well-edited selection of microbrews and fine wines.

A separate bar menu offers casual, light dishes like the MP Bar Burger with Special Sauce and home relishes and pickles, duck fat fries, and Mash Potato Rings.

Designer Stephanie Goto, principal and founder of New York City design firm STEPHANIEGOTO, is responsible for the interior design of the space. Design highlights include a Guggenheim-inspired staircase and a contemporary chandelier made of fishing line.

“Designing the space was a two to three month process. For the restaurant, we took cues from nautical themes. We wanted the space to resemble a modern summer home, where you can spend an entire day,” says Goto. “I really admire the architecture of Finland, and the linear approach.”

While the restaurant is the main focus at Maritime Parc, given the location’s prime views and unhurried setting inside a state park, the owners can also expect to bring in plenty of special events, much like its neighbor, Liberty House.

The second floor of Maritime Parc — which, along with the third floor, is reserved exclusively for events — was designed to resemble a night sky, with “cloud ceiling” panels wrapped with translucent fabric and filled with rope light casting a serene glow on the hardwood floor. (The Maritime Parc logo is actually based on this memorable ceiling). The third floor has an open room with high, vaulted cedar ceiling and a wrap-around balcony with some of the most beautiful views of Downtown Manhattan around.

The restaurant hopes that its careful attention to detail and high-quality offerings set Maritime Parc apart from a typical waterfront bar and restaurant. Boats can dock at the restaurant and order “boat service”, a delivery service that brings fresh food from the restaurant directly to the marina.

“If you think you’re going to get off your boat at Liberty Landing Marina and have a Corona here,” Goto says, “you will definitely be surprised.”

THE DETAILS

Maritime Parc | 84 Audrey Zapp Drive | 201-413-0050 | maritimeparc.com

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/10/04/a-waterfront-setting-inspires-nautical-themes-at-jersey-citys-maritime-parc/

JCMAN320

November 26th, 2010, 07:08 PM

Husband-and-Wife Team Behind Jersey City’s Madame Claude Cafe Open Madame Claude Wine
By Amy Petriello • Oct 6th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mcwine.jpg

Rustic wood shelves, counters propped up on wine barrels, vintage corkscrews mounted on concrete walls. Is this a winery in the middle of Jersey City? No, it’s just the new Madame Claude wine store, opening today in the ground floor of the Hamilton Square development near Hamilton Park.

Madame Claude Wine, a spin-off of the popular Madame Claude Cafe on 4th Street, is owned by husband-and-wife team Mattias Gustafsson and Alice Troietto. While not formally schooled in oenology (“we just like wine,” they say), Gustafsson and Troietto have been taking wine classes since they first decided to open the store about four years ago.

“Every wine we’ll carry, we’ll know about … a little story about it,” Gustafsson says.

On the day of our visit, they were pouring a 2008 Chateau Virgile Blanc from Costières de Nîmes. The Costières de Nîmes is a small appellation in the south of France, not one of the larger wine regions most Americans know about. It’s a clean, round white wine, neither too fruity nor acidic.

Sixty-five percent of the store’s stock will be French wines, “because we’re French,” Gustafsson says. “We want to stay authentic.”

He wants to introduce customers to wines they’ve never had before, from regions other than Bordeaux and Burgundy.

“That’s our job,” he says. “We want to sell what people like, but we have to present them with wine they don’t know.”

For example, Gustafsson says the Chateau Virgile Blanc pairs well with fish dishes, as its region of origin is especially known for its bouillabaisse.

In addition, Madame Claude Wine will sell cheese and pâté, as well as harder-to-find, unusual spirits, such as rum from the French Antilles, French-made single-malt scotch and cider.

“When you eat crêpes in France, you always have cider,” says Gustafsson. “It’s like the thing. You have to have cider with crêpes.”

There will also be in-store tastings and other events to educate customers on wine. “People can be a little intimidated with the labeling of French wines,” says Gustafsson. “We will be there to explain it.”

Most of the wines in stock will cost between $10 and $20, with a few higher-priced options. Along with focusing on affordable, everyday wines, Gustafsson and Troietto will sell only food-friendly wine.

What is food-friendly wine? “It can’t be too fruity, too woody, like the Californians can be sometimes, because then it just overpowers the food,” says Gustafsson. He plans on displaying information on food and wine pairings in the center of the store; many examples will be dishes from Madame Claude Cafe’s menu, such as duck in orange sauce or steak au poivre.

One of Gustafsson’s goals is to “have both places work together.” As such, he is offering incentives for customers to buy wine there and then take it to the nearby BYOB restaurant, such as a free dessert at the restaurant with a wine purchase at the store.

Future plans include selling vacuum-packed meals from the restaurant at the wine store. The meals can be dropped into boiling water and will cook in the bag, according to Troietto — a method that is already widely used in France.

Gustafsson and Troietto were actually offered this space by Hamilton Square for their eight-year-old restaurant, with the thought that they’d want to expand. But they declined, stating that they wanted to retain the cozy cafe feel of Madame Claude.

“We like the size, we think it works,” Gustafsson says. “We’re like, ‘Why not a wine store?’”

The interior melds the pair’s French and Jersey roots. The shelves and counters were crafted out of reclaimed barn wood by artist Matt Johnson, whose studio used to be located on Brunswick Street across from Madame Claude Cafe. The metal fixtures and store sign (as well as the sign for the eatery) were also created by Johnson. A chair originally created as a stage prop and then abandoned on a street in Jersey City sits under a large banner of the Eiffel Tower, near the walk-in refrigerator. Vintage corkscrews, passed down in Troietto’s family, are mounted on a wall underneath a metal chandelier, another Johnson sculpture. Nearby a helpful map of all the wine regions of France is posted for nouveau wine enthusiasts.

“We wanted to make it different from everybody else around,” Troietto says of the design. “We didn’t want to make it a typical liquor store. We wanted it warm, rustic. And the space is so great to work with.”

While the design seemingly came easy, obtaining a liquor license proved a harder task, particularly when Gustafsson discovered a city ordinance stating that liquor stores needed to be 750 feet apart.

“We thought we were clear of distance issues, but apparently not,” he says. Madame Claude Wine is indeed within that distance of a few liquor stores, including Sidoroff’s Liquors on 8th Street and Liquor House on Erie Street. As we previously reported, the City Council changed the law in March to permit a distribution license being transferred into a redevelopment zone to be as close as 520 feet to another establishment holding a license. And a year and a half after the process began, the store finally has its license.

THE DETAILS
Madame Claude Wine | 234 Pavonia Ave. | No phone yet | madameclaudewine.com | Hours (subject to change): 11 am to 10 pm daily

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/10/06/husband-and-wife-team-behind-jersey-citys-madame-claude-cafe-open-madame-claude-wine/

JCMAN320

November 26th, 2010, 07:16 PM

First Max's of Manila franchise on the East Coast opens in Jersey City

Published: Thursday, November 04, 2010, 1:06 PM Updated: Thursday, November 04, 2010, 1:11 PM
Adam Robb/For The Jersey Journal

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Adam Robb/For The Jersey Journal
Philippines Consul General Cecile Rebong chops a whole chicken and serves Mayor Jeremiah Healy the first taste. The chopping ceremony is a custom at the opening of every Max's restaurant.

With two snips of the scissors last week, Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy cut through the red ribbon crossing the threshold of Max's of Manila, the first East Coast franchise of the storied Philippines eatery, at 687 Newark Ave.

For any other business, such a ceremony would signal its grand opening, but Max's has its own ritual, and moments later, Cecile Rebong, Consul General of the Philippines, was deftly splitting a chicken with a butcher's knife under the skylight of the restaurant's second-floor dining room.

Slicing through the small bird, prepared in a dedicated fryer in the downstairs kitchen, she was ready to serve the first pieces to her honored guests on a dais -- including Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez and Council President Peter Brennan -- who proceeded to indulge following the mayor's first bite. With a full mouth he gave them the go-ahead, signaling his approval with two thumbs up.

Afterward, all guests received a single piece of chicken eaten in a toast to the new establishment.

Despite the restaurant's formal introduction to the Journal Square community, most guests felt at home, as if they had eaten at Max's all their lives, and with good reason.

For many immigrants to Jersey City, their familiarity with the brand dates back 65 years to when Maximo Gimenez opened his Philippines home to American GIs following World War II.

"In 1945 my grandfather started the restaurant," Bill Rodgers, the current managing director of Max's LLC told a crowd already well versed in the story. "He was inviting GIs over to his house, serving them drinks and his niece concocted some fried chicken. We're not sure where this secret recipe came from, whether it was in her head or from a GI."

But while the recipe remains a guarded secret to this day -- despite several attempts not even the mayor could extract the formula -- word spread, as did the opportunity to experience the tender meat, traditionally served with hot sauce or banana ketchup.

There are now more than 100 branches of Max's of Manila throughout the world and after reaching from coast to coast in the United States, forthcoming franchises are preparing to open in Toronto, Canada, Sydney, Australia and Dubai.

Noting the state of the economy, the mayor was quick to share his appreciation for Max's commitment to opening in Jersey City.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. As you know, we are in the new Great Depression not just here in Jersey City or these United States, but all over the world," Healy said. "There's tremendous economic downturn, and its very encouraging to see that businesses such as Max's of Manila and entrepreneurs such as Patricia (Berberabe) and her family are still moving forward in investing here in Jersey City."

That forward progress began in the summer of 2008, when Max's first announced it was hiring staff, and continued a year later when, ready to open, the restaurant was forced to remain closed until it adapted to new building codes. Still, nothing could deter franchisee Berberabe whose nostalgia for Max's cuisine inspired her to open in New Jersey.

"Because of my love of Max's Chicken from when I was in college, as soon as I learned Max was a franchise I put in my application," she told the room of guests dominated by friends and family.

Such intimacy was why Rodgers believed Berberabe was the perfect candidate for a franchise. He wanted to see his family business become the business of other families.

The new owner's decades-long connection to Max's is not surprising to Rebong.

"Finally part of the Philippines is now in Jersey City," she delighted in announcing before becoming wistful herself. "How many wedding receptions were held at Max's Restaurant in the Philippines? Baptismal receptions, birthday celebrations, anniversary celebrations, graduation celebrations, parties were held at Max's Restaurant in the Philippines? It started long before we had the pizzas and the hot dogs and all those stands and restaurants in the Philippines. And we have all been part of that culture."

It is true the menu at Max's is more focused on the cuisine of the Philippines than similar chains like Jollibee in Woodside, Queens, which infuses its menu with American dishes like spaghetti served beside their own variation on fried chicken. While Rebong dines there as well, she feels a stronger connection to her homeland here where meals feature more traditional dishes including crispy pata or pork knuckle, kare-kare oxtail in peanut sauce, lumpiang ubod heart of palm wrapped in an egg crepe and, for dessert, halo-halo, a frozen mixture of fruit, rice, beans and ice cream.

"You ask all these people who migrated from the Philippines to here: Before we had hamburgers, we had Max's,'' she said. "It's part of the Philippines history, part of the Philippine way of life."

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/11/first_maxs_of_manila_franchise.html

JCMAN320

November 28th, 2010, 09:28 PM

Banh mi is (finally) coming to Jersey City
Published: Thursday, November 04, 2010, 2:21 PM Updated: Monday, November 08, 2010, 6:50 PM
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/9020607-large.jpg
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal
Dianna Munz and Gary Rego in front of the location of Jersey City's first banh mi restaurant, Rue Viet.

The banh mi craze has finally hit Jersey City.

Although the Vietnamese sandwiches have been the darling of foodies across the river for several years, and despite Jersey City’s many fine Vietnamese restaurants, banh mi have not been regularly* available in town until now.

Rue Viet, located at 270 Newark Ave. (the former site of both Cafe Nia and the Baker Boys Café), is slated to open in a couple of weeks, although an exact date has not yet been set.

The restaurant is owned by Dianna Munz, a classically-trained chef, and Gary Rego, who decided to open it after they moved here and found a dearth of banh mi shops.

“When we were living in Brooklyn, we would eat banh mi at least twice a week. There’s one (a shop) on every corner” said Munz during an interview in the restaurant’s garden.

The pair wanted to open the restaurant in Hoboken, Munz’s hometown, which returned to from Brooklyn in 2007. (Rego moved to the Heights two years later.)

But high rents caused them to look in Jersey City. When the location at the corner of Newark Avenue and Monmouth Street (which Munz had lusted after for years) became available, the pair decided it was fate.

(In an even larger coincidence, Munz later discovered that her aunt used to own the building, where Munz spent many a happy Easter.)

Munz and Rego are veteran restaurateurs, having opened two restaurants in Brooklyn: Paninoteca 275, an Italian tapas and Panini place, in Carroll Gardens and the diner Hope & Anchor in Red Hook.

Rue Viet (an homage to Newark Avenue’s Vietnamese shops) will serve a half-a-dozen kinds of banh mi.

Traditionally the baguette sandwiches are not sold in restaurants, but rather in sandwich shops, bakeries, and even at newsstands.

Munz and Rego will serve the classic variety, consisting of pate, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers and mayonnaise, as well as variations incorporating such ingredients as tofu, sardine, chicken and roasted pork belly.

There will also be an extensive salad menu, a slew of cold and warm noodle dishes and the traditional Vietnamese soup, Pho.

But the pair, neither of whom is of Vietnamese decent, is care to note that they’re not trying to compete with the existing Vietnamese restaurants.

“The most important thing to us was not to interfere with anybody’s business that was already here,” said Munz. “We’re borrowing the idea and putting a spin on it.”

The Pho, for example, will be vegetarian. And Munz plans to incorporate flavors from other cultures, such as lemongrass from Thailand and Chinese pork buns.

The café will also serve a French/Vietnamese brunch with, for example, fried pork belly and rice instead of bacon and home fries.

In addition it also will serve as a neighborhood café, with a full coffee bar and free WiFi (yippee).

And, to satisfy a decades-long desire of Munz’, there is going to be a soft serve ice cream machine allowing them to offer such treats as green tea ice cream and tamarind topping.

Asked if the café will also wear the hat of a local ice cream shop, doling out cones to go, Munz said, she hadn’t thought about it, “But if that’s what keeps the restaurant going, sure.”

Rue Viet is located at 270 Newark Ave. The phone is 201-918-2704. The restaurant will be open M-F from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

*One Newark Avenue grocery store occasionally sells them on Saturdays, Munz said.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/11/banh_mi_is_coming_finally_to_j.html

JCMAN320

November 29th, 2010, 11:24 AM

Jersey City man recreates childhood memories with Paulus Hook gelato shop

Published: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 2:14 PM Updated: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 4:27 PM
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal

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Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal
Tom Parisi behind the counter at Tommy 2 Scoops.

When Tom Parisi was a child, one of his favorite pastimes was hanging out at his uncle’s local candy store.

“It was a meeting place, people used to say, ‘I’ll see you at the store,’” he said.

A half a century later, the 63-year-old former carpet salesman and Jersey City landlord decided to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, as well as those of his father, who owned the grocery shop next door.

And with its tin ceilings, hardwood floors, ceiling fans and wrought-iron-and-wood benches out front, Tommy 2 Scoops and Then Some! is off to a good start.

Even with the “then some” added, the name is somewhat deceiving, because the cozy eatery at the corner of York Street and Marin Boulevard is more than a gelato shop.

The friendly café, which opened July 2, is also a sandwich joint with such offerings as Cuban, Ruben and grilled veggie Panini, Cobb and Caesar salads, and chicken quesadilla.

But Parisi also puts a spin on things with truffle-oil-topped French fries and a burger served on focaccia and topped with chipotle peppers.

Of course serving gelato instead of ice cream is also a departure from the old-timey theme. But Parisi points out that not only do many people find the denser flavor tastier, but that it also has significantly less fat – two-thirds less fat, he said.

He also adds a modern twist with such flavors as Parmesan olive oil; maple syrup, brown sugar and bacon; coconut curry and wasabi, in addition to tamer varieties such as Oreo and honey ricotta.

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/9039334-large.jpg
Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal
Tommy 2 Scoop's backyard.

Although Parisi says he’s been having a blast opening the restaurant, its occurrence was somewhat of a fluke.

“It should have been called “Tommy oops,” he said.

Parisi bought 177 York Street with the intention of renting it.

But although he quickly found tenants for the rental units, there were no takers for the commercial space on the ground floor.

So he decided to develop it himself.

And why a gelato shop?

“I just felt that this place needed one, there really isn’t anything like it nearby,” he said.

Although the inside of the restaurant only has a few tables, there’s a 1,200-square-foot backyard that provided outdoor seating for dozens last summer. This winter Parisi plans to turn part of that space into a second dining room.

The cafe also offers free WiFi and has a few outlets available for laptop users.

So far the café has been most popular with parents, since it keeps the little ones contained. Parisi said he’s already hosted about 25 birthday parties. With a water dish out front, it's also been popular with dog owners, he said.

Although Tommy 2 Scoops if Parisi first eatery, it’s not going to be his last.

Plans are underway to open a two-story, 2,200-square foot restaurant and bar called The Bright Side at 141 Bright St., with three separate areas.

“There’s going to be bar area like 'Cheers,' an elegant dining room like the Light Horse, and a fireplace lounge like Skinner’s Loft,” he said, acknowledging his optimism at comparing the future restaurant to what he called two of Jersey City's "premier" spots.

“It’s been rewarding,” he said of his new career. “It’s been a lot of fun.

Tommy 2 Scoops and Then Some! is located at 177 York St. It is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. until midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delivery is available, with a $10 minimum, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/11/jersey_city_man_recreates_chil_2.html

JCMAN320

November 29th, 2010, 04:48 PM

Jersey City approves zoning changes to block natural gas pipeline
Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 7:04 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 7:12 PM
Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal

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Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
Spectra Energy wants to run a natural gas pipeline through Bayonne and Jersey City, which would travel under the Hudson River to New York. Here's a map of the proposed route.

Despite a federal agency saying Jersey City can’t use local zoning law to block a natural gas pipeline, the City Council adopted 10 ordinances tonight trying to do just that.

“This is part of the city’s strategy to oppose the installation of the Spectra pipeline in the City of Jersey City, to prohibit natural gas pipelines in redevelopment plans,” City Clerk Robert Byrne said before opening the first ordinance up for a public hearing.

Resident Yvonne Balcer was the only resident to speak and noted that the city can’t tell the state or federal government what to do, but she did ask if the city could require maintenance of the pipelines to prevent an explosion like the one in San Bruno earlier this year.

“The issue is not whether or not to have it, the issue is to require maintenance so we don’t have that same problem they had in California,” she said.

Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano said he believes both the state Board of Public Utilities and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission require maintenance.

The ordinances are only one of several ways the city is trying to block a Houston company from running a pipeline through Jersey City.

The project would also include running pipeline through parts of Bayonne.
Tamara Young-Allen, a FERC spokeswoman, said municipal law cannot be used to block interstate commerce.

Regardless, the City Council voted 8-0 to approve the ordinances and also introduced a first reading ordinance to block the pipelines in other zones in the city. Councilwoman Willie Flood was absent.

Spectra officials have not commented on the ordinances but released a statement saying the company hopes to continue working with Jersey City to build the pipeline and finalize the route.

Spectra officials have said the pipeline would generate about $2 million annually in tax revenue for Jersey City. The proposed route would follow Route 440 to the New Jersey Turnpike extension and cut through Newport to the Hudson River, where it would cross to Manhattan.

The ordinances approved tonight prohibit natural gas pipelines in the following redevelopment zones: Bates Street, Caven Point, Grand Jersey, Greenville Industrial, Jersey Avenue Light Rail, Jersey Avenue Park, Jersey Avenue Tenth Street, Liberty Harbor, Montgomery Street and Morris Canal.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/11/jersey_city_approves_zoning_ch.html

mariab

December 2nd, 2010, 06:22 PM

As I write this there is a protest outside of a restaurant to save the jobs, where inside there is a fundraiser going on for the mayor. Link at the bottom includes video.

Jersey City may follow Newark's lead in police layoffs

Updated at 05:07 PM today

Eyewitness News
TRENTON, N.J. (WABC) -- Jersey City is considering police layoffs to cover a massive budget gap.

"It's something we all want to avoid at all costs," Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. Emerging from a closed door shouting match of a meeting, Mayor Healy carefully explained the yelling to reporters.

"it was about the negotiations. There was some miscommunication. That's what that was about," he said.

A perfect example of just how emotional the proposed police budget cuts have become.
On the line, 82 police officer's jobs, 7 civilian police employees and about a dozen demotions.
The mayor says he has negotiated in good faith with the police union.
"That comment is so disingenuous. He never sat across the table from us and even attempted to hash this thing out," union president Jerry DeCicco said.
The mayor was set to send the proposed cuts to Trenton, but a last minute agreement has the union mulling over this.
Just two concessions:
A week's pay lag, which officers would get back when they retire. That would save 3.4 million.
And giving up a 13-hundred dollar uniform allowance for one year. That would save 1.2 million.
Meanwhile, the police department in Hoboken is also demoting superior officers. And it's re-deploying desk workers to put 38 percent more officers on the street, even with budget cutbacks.
All this follows the layoffs of 167 officers in Newark and plans in Camden to eliminate half of its police department.
Amid all these cutbacks and demotions, Atlantic City on Wednesday swore in 17 officers who were among 60 let go in two prior rounds of layoffs.
They're coming back under an agreement between the city and its police union that calls for each of the city's 300 officers to give back $410.
Mayor Healy watched carefully what happened in Newark earlier this week. "I don't want to see any of that happen in Jersey City," he said.
He says it doesn't have to, but the budget gap is huge. State funding has dried up, but he says if the union agrees to these two concessions, 82 officers will keep their jobs.

---
(Copyright ©2010 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_jersey&id=7819916&rss=rss-twitter-wabc-article-7819916&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

JCMAN320

December 2nd, 2010, 07:06 PM

Jersey City mayor delays filing for police layoffs in hopes of striking deal with union

Published: Thursday, December 02, 2010, 2:46 PM Updated: Thursday, December 02, 2010, 2:48 PM
Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

Talks between Jersey City administration officials and police unions seem to have gotten traction last night and there is now some hope for an agreement to avert layoffs and make budget cuts the city says are needed, officials said today.

At about 7 p.m. last night Mayor Jerramiah Healy told The Jersey Journal that talks had broken down and the city would notify Trenton today of its intention to layoff 82 police officers.

But this afternoon Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the city has decided to delay notifying Trenton of the planned layoffs in order to allow talks to continue through tomorrow.

Once notified, Trenton has up to 30 days to review the layoff plan before giving its approval. The city then most provide 45 days notice to workers to be laid off.

Last night Healy said the city's proposal to the Police Officers Benevolent Association included a pay lag that would save the city approximately $3.4 million and cost the officers nothing, and a one-time give back of the officers' $1,300 annual uniform allowance that would save an additional $1.2 million.

If the POBA agreed to those concessions, the administration — in conjunction with Police Director Sam Jefferson and Police Chief Tom Comey — had identified other cuts and revenue sources that would save the city another $2.4 million.

The mayor said the combination of the concessions by POBA members and effort by the department to cut costs and find revenues, would avert police department layoffs altogether.

Police union officials couldn't be immediately reached to comment.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/12/jersey_city_mayor_delays_filin.html

mariab

December 2nd, 2010, 09:35 PM

If the POBA agree to the concessions, which seem reasonable, then everyone benefits, especially the citizens.

JCMAN320

December 2nd, 2010, 09:44 PM

If the POBA agree to the concessions, which seem reasonable, then everyone benefits, especially the citizens.

I'am a union person; but I am also a concerned citizen; so I hope they agree to the concessions. They do seem reasonable.

mariab

December 2nd, 2010, 10:19 PM

It makes sense, & they seem more amicable than Newark. Cutting cops anywhere is a giant mistake. I can understand though that it's easy for someone like me to say that when I'm not sitting behind that desk staring at the budget proposal wondering how to make ends meet. It's just that I don't think the cities that are doing this have looked at it as a last resort. I think there are things that they're hiding that they simply refuse to cut.

JCMAN320

December 8th, 2010, 05:34 PM

American heritage is 'in' in Jersey City

Wednesday, November 24, 2010
By ADAM ROBB
FOR THE JERSEY JOURNAL

American heritage fashion is in season this winter, and at the heart of it are two local businesses.

Brothers Chris and Billy Bray house the design studio for their hand-tooled Billykirk leather goods in a Bay Street warehouse in Jersey City, while What Goes Around Comes Around stores its collection of prime vintage denim, dresses and accessories in a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in the city's Heights section.

Billykirk's tanned belts, wallets and bags are produced by artisans in Amish country.

As their Made in the USA accessories have grown more popular, the brothers have been courted for collaborations with stores including J.Crew and Opening Ceremony. They now produce women's felt hats, waxed cotton totes and dopp kits as their line expands upon the bounty of signature leather goods on which they founded their company back in 1999.

This past weekend the Brays were part of the Pop-Up Flea in Manhattan, a weekend-long market for classic American menswear including Pennsylvania shirtmakers Gitman Vintage and Maine's LL Bean Signature collection, which reproduces classic looks from Bean catalogs dating back to the 1920s.

However, if you're not looking for reproduction vintage, consider What Goes Around Comes Around before you shop the Salvation Army.

WGACA, as it's more commonly called, opens their warehouse by appointment only. But often the owners invite celebrities, stylists and bloggers into the storage space and showroom to pull looks for special events or to curate collections for their SoHo store. Recent evenings have been hosted by the bloggers behind Sea of Shoes and Atlantis Home and DJ Becka Diamond.

To learn about WGACA's next shopping event, check out whatgoesaroundnyc.com or stop by their Manhattan boutique at 351 West Broadway.

To buy Billykirk, check out billykirk.com or visit the J.Crew Liquor Store at 235 West Broadway or Opening Ceremony at the Ace Hotel, 1190 Broadway, both in New York City.

http://www.nj.com/living/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/living-2/1290583509145100.xml&coll=3

JCMAN320

December 9th, 2010, 09:57 AM

Beau Cafe Opens Up Shop on Summit Avenue
By Laryssa Wirstiuk • Nov 18th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food

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Crossing Route 139 by foot during morning rush hour — a feat required to get from my home in the Heights to the Journal Square PATH — should be done only after ingesting caffeine. Dodging cars in that messy intersection requires cat-like reflexes and a certain level of awareness. Beau Cafe, a new coffee shop on Summit Avenue, helps prepare commuters for their daily trek, but as one of the shop’s managing partners explains, it does much more than that.

“We have a complete mix of customers: Caucasian, Indian, Pakistani, Spanish, Italian, and Irish-American,” Isnel Sanon says. “We have commuters, but also people in the neighborhood.”

The cafe, located at 664 Summit Avenue on the corner of St. Paul’s Avenue, celebrated its soft opening last month, and is currently the only business of its kind in this southern area of the Heights near Journal Square.

“I’ve lived in Jersey City since September 2001. I love the Heights, and I know the potential in this area. It seems like every little business that opens brings up the neighborhood,” says Sanon. “I was driving around one day, realized the store was vacant, and I talked to the owner. That’s how this all came about.”

Sanon met his business partners, Ana Victoria Gonzalez and Darnibe Dossous, while living and working in the area. His own experience in the food and beverage industry began in Miami, where he worked at a pizza shop.

“I learned that the customer is always looking for great food, friendly service and a clean place to eat,” he says. “If you treat the customers and employees right, and make sure they’re happy, you can sell just about anything.”

All business partners are involved in daily store operations, and they’ve also become very involved in helping the community. The Haitian-born Sanon is CEO of KateOpen, a nonprofit organization founded after the earthquake that leveled Haiti earlier this year.

Over time, the organization has branched out, raising money not only for those suffering in Haiti but also for expecting mothers and the elderly of Jersey City. Most recently, the organization partnered with Home Depot and Kaboom to build a playground for Camp Liberty and Liberty State Park.

“We’re going to put a charity cup at the front of the cafe for anyone who chooses to donate,” Sanon says. “From time to time, we will also make special donations. We’ll be donating either food or whatever services they require.”

Beau Cafe is open seven days a week, and even later on Friday and Saturday nights, which makes it a great place to unwind with a slice of cheesecake and coffee after work. Free wifi also distinguishes this business from others in the area — previously, much of the Heights lacked a virtual office space for those tied to their laptops.

Beau Cafe currently sells coffee, cappuccino, mochas, tea-based smoothies, hot chocolate, bagels, croissants, basic sandwiches, and bottled beverages like soda and water. All baked goods are delivered fresh from Brooklyn’s Kabir’s Bakery, which doesn’t use preservatives. The rest of the food is prepared on premises.

The cafe also went all-out for high-quality coffee, choosing a high-grade Columbian blend that costs between $7 and $7 per pound (most coffee shops brew coffee that costs under $4 per pound). They add whole, steamed milk to their coffee drinks, but customers have the option of using cold milk as well.

“We interviewed quite a few different coffee vendors and decided to pay a bit more to get a good taste,” Sanon says. “We don’t have a contract with any coffee vendor. If our customers aren’t satisfied, we have the option to switch vendors. We brew it on a small scale, and we ask our customers for feedback.”

In the future, Sanon plans to open an on-site kitchen, which will allow the team to add a few hot items like pasta and rice and beans to the menu. The partners also plan to acquire an off-site bakery space in Jersey City so that they will have full control over the bakery items and be able to make them fresh all day. Within the next two to three weeks, Sanon also hopes to hire new servers.

“We’ve received some great feedback. So far, the customers like the way our store looks — it’s clean. They say the coffee tastes great, and the smoothies – especially the sour green apple and strawberry banana – are a hit,” says Sanon. “They’re happy to have us in the neighborhood. People have been looking for a new coffee shop.”

THE DETAILS
Beau Cafe | 664 Summit Ave. | beaucafe.net | Hours: Monday – Thursday, 7 am to 7 pm; Friday, 7 am to 8 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 8 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm. (NOTE: We did not include our usual Google Map, since Google is incorrectly mapping this location. It is at the corner of Summit and St. Paul’s Avenues, just north of Route 139.)

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/11/18/beau-cafe-opens-up-shop-on-summit-avenue/

JoeSas

December 12th, 2010, 08:36 PM

A 40-story building for Newport
Planning Board approves 790-unit project
by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer
Dec 12, 2010 | 186 views | 0 | | 2 | |

NEW STRUCTURE - The Planning Board at their Nov. 30 meeting approved the plan for a 790-unit structure to be built at 700 Washington Blvd. in downtown Jersey City’s Newport community. Image provided by Page and Steele Architects.

Newport residents will probably see a new 40-story building rising in their neighborhood next year.

The Planning Board at their Nov. 30 meeting approved the preliminary and final site plan for a 790-unit residential/retail structure to be built at 700 Washington Blvd., across the street from the Target Department Store.

The Newport section of Jersey City is located on the waterfront near the Hoboken border. The project will be built in the last undeveloped portion of Newport, called the “northeast quadrant.” The land is currently occupied by construction equipment.
_____________

“This is a post-modern structure that is surprisingly good, almost too good to be true,” Yost said.
________

Charles Harrington, the attorney representing the applicants for the project, Newport Development Associates Company, a subsidiary of the Lefrak Organization (the developers of the Newport residential community), said the project includes 15,000 square feet of retail and 876 parking spaces – 794 garage spots and 82 on the street.

The significance of the project, Harrington said, is it will be the first project underway in the northeast quadrant. Harrington said the project will take 18 to 20 months to complete but no definitive date has been set for the start of construction other than “sometime next year” He also could not provide a price tag for the project, currently unnamed. The developer is considering designating it a rental building.

‘Surprisingly good’ buildings

Leon Yost, senior commissioner on the Planning Board, said the project is really two towers and that he was “pleasantly surprised” by the architecture, which he credits to the design of the Toronto-based architecture firm Page and Steele. Yost said that the firm had designed another Newport building called the Aquablu that is located near this new project.

“This is a post-modern structure that is surprisingly good, almost too good to be true,” Yost said.

He was also surprised that the developer had not publicized the project more, as it was the first time he had seen any presentation on the project. Yost said the rest of the Planning Board also praised the project.

Yost also said he believed that the project was pushed by the developer to get approval so that it would be constructed before the proposed Spectra natural gas pipeline is ever built through that area to Lower Manhattan, and not be subject to delay from the pipeline construction.

The Lefrak Organization is among many groups in the city opposed to the pipeline.

Yost also pointed out that the building will close to the waterfront and to the Hoboken-Jersey City border, to allow future residents to gain access to the pedestrian bridge linking the two towns.

Read more: Hudson Reporter - A 40 story building for Newport Planning Board approves 790 unit project

Nexis4Jersey

December 12th, 2010, 11:39 PM

What is planned for that abandoned piece of land along 14th and 18th Street near the Waterfront and the piers in Newport?

tbal

December 13th, 2010, 03:12 AM

Nexis, it looks like you are referring to exactly the piece of land that LeFrak intends on constructing these two new towers on next year.

That area has been practically a "no-man's land" for decades; to see it developed after all this time is almost surreal. This project should forever change that area - I can imagine other projects sprouting up nearby once this is built. But, I wonder how Hobokenites are going to feel about these towers looming over the NJ Transit yards. These will be significantly closer than anything currently standing in Newport.

NYatKNIGHT

December 13th, 2010, 12:19 PM

Little image that went with the above article:
http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/383/assets/E718_12jcnewport12_1.jpg

[/URL][URL="http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/10639560/article-A-40-story-building-for-Newport-Planning-Board-approves-790-unit-project-?instance=jersey_city_story_left_column"]Hudson Reporter (http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/10639560/article-A-40-story-building-for-Newport-Planning-Board-approves-790-unit-project-?instance=jersey_city_story_left_column)

Newarkguy

December 13th, 2010, 05:30 PM

Hobokenites get no say. It doesnt matter what these snobs (most Hobokenites)feel,period. Hoboken is nothing more than an overgrown extension of Downtown Jersey city that ONLY in New Jersey did it manage to avoid annexation into jersey city. Its like Greenwich village and Chelsea being its own township, yet surrounded by the remainder of Manhattan...ridiculous.

stache

December 13th, 2010, 09:24 PM

Chelsea is its own township?

scrollhectic

December 13th, 2010, 10:37 PM

Chelsea is its own township?

Oh Stache... how you tickle me!

stache

December 14th, 2010, 05:53 AM

Goochie goochie!

JCMAN320

December 31st, 2010, 03:38 AM

Satis Brings Bistro Flair and European Flavors to Paulus Hook
By Amy Petriello • Dec 7th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/satis.jpg

The owners of Lucky 7 Tavern have teamed up to bring a new foodie haven to Paulus Hook. Satis, Latin for “enough” — as in, satisfied — will feature a butcher, a baker and … a gelato maker.

The bi-level space at 212 Washington Street was most recently Taste of Cin deli and, long before that, a meat market/grocery called The National.

“Our initial name was actually Butcher Block Cafe,” says Mike Garcia, one of Satis’ owners. “But based on feedback, [we decided] it was very long-winded, aggressive and violent.”

Garcia and Geza Gulas, his business partner, are keeping the history of the building alive through both the industrial chic decor — Edison light bulbs hang low over repurposed rough wood tables fashioned from the floorboards of a house on Montgomery Street — and the food: hocks of jamón serrano and logs of salami hang front and center, ready for deli orders and sandwiches.

In addition to a deli, Satis will feature a barista/cafe counter for morning coffee and pastries, a sit-down restaurant for lunch and dinner (and eventually brunch), and an adjoining dessert shop that will serve cupcakes, cake and up to 24 flavors of gelato.

The bread is from Balthazar; the pastries, homemade; the coffee, Bristot; and the gelato — well, that’s a secret.

“But I can promise you it’s delicious,” says Garcia. The top-secret gelato will be highlighted in sundaes such as The German Chocolate Cake, which features milk chocolate and Almond Joy gelato, topped with toasted coconut, candied pecans and warm butterscotch sauce.

“The girls will like them, and the guys… we’re sure they’ll like them, too,” says Garcia. Dessert will be served both in the restaurant and the sweet shop — “like Serendipity,” says Garcia, referencing the New York dessert mecca.

In fact, Garcia and Gulas name-drop a few New York restaurants as they talk about Satis, including Citarella. Like the fine-food deli, Satis will sell its prosciutto and other meats and cheeses — as well as imported specialty foods from across Europe — to retail customers.

“Geza and I saw this working in a lot of places in the city,” says Garcia. “We just tried to fill what we felt was a void — a nice, casual bistro with fine meats and cheeses. And who doesn’t like fine meats and cheeses and breads?”

Chef Michael Fiorianti, who has worked in corporate dining for the past nine years and was a consultant for the lauded but now-shuttered Jersey City restaurant Ox, has created a menu with a variety of European influences, including Italian, Spanish and French.

“It boils down to a Manhattan dining experience,” he says.

“There are so many very good Italian and French restaurants in Jersey City,” Garcia says. “We wanted to add something. We didn’t want to be one or the other. We’re going to do favorites from all.”

Fiorianti’s signature dish will be braised short ribs with chorizo and goat cheese mashed potatoes. Also on the menu are appetizers like bacon-wrapped, marcona almond-stuffed dates, and entrees like jumbo prawns with elephant garlic and saffron aioli potatoes.

Though it doesn’t have a liquor license, Satis has worked with a sommelier to create a wine list that will be available for purchase from Liberty Liquors, located just down the street. Diners will be able to order wine from the store and have it delivered to their table.

The restaurant will have seating for 68 inside, and up to 55 outdoors. “Outside will be a true European-style cafe,” says Garcia.

Opening the restaurant took Garcia and Gulas almost a year. Throughout the process, neighbors frequently stopped in and offered their support.

“The neighbors are really great. Really nice people,” says Garcia. “It’s been a long road. People have been coming in saying, ‘Don’t give up.’”

Garcia and Guzas are confident Satis will return that warm welcome when they open its doors on December 9.

“In the morning, you’re going to know the guy who makes your coffee, and he’s going to know you and how you like it,” says Garcia.

THE DETAILS

Satis Bistro | 212 Washington St. | Opening December 9 | Lunch: Monday through Friday. Dinner: Tuesday through Saturday. Brunch: Saturday and Sunday after January 1.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/12/07/satis-brings-bistro-flair-and-european-flavors-to-paulus-hook/

JCMAN320

January 9th, 2011, 03:32 AM

Nexis4Jersey

January 10th, 2011, 08:58 AM

What is planned for that area that is empty / Abandoned Factories and borders Hoboken Avenue ....and what is planned for that area bordering Danforth Avenue station that kinda abandoned?

JCMAN320

January 11th, 2011, 05:42 PM

The old industrial section near Hoboken Ave will be the Van Leer Place Apartments. Ground will be broken this year:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/realestate/13njzo.html?_r=1
http://www.hbrownstone.com/upcoming/

The area around Danforth and Linden Aves. will be the new JCIA/DPW site:

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/06/25/council-report-dpwjcia-bonding-approved-embankment-deal-moves-forward-and-more/

Also NJTransit has been doing a new interlocking project at Danforth Ave. to alow more capacity along the HBLR.

JCMAN320

January 15th, 2011, 08:33 PM

JCMAN320

January 15th, 2011, 08:36 PM

State grant will help Jersey City get Heights "100 steps" project back on track

Tuesday, January 04, 2011
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://img.vrvm.com/media/render.htm?m=238118589&width=320&keepAspect=true

Jersey City plans to use a state grant to take the long-delayed "100 Steps" project to connect the Jersey City Heights and a Hoboken Light Rail station out of the hands of a private developer.

Brass Works Urban Renewal LLC, developer of The Cliffs, has been on the hook for the project since 2005, when the city Zoning Board granted variances for the then-condominium complex in exchange for several public improvements.

The improvements were to be made concurrent with construction of The Cliffs, which opened as a rental building in 2008 at 100 Paterson Plank Road, across from the Second Street Light Rail Station.

According to a Aug. 11, 2005 redevelopment agreement signed by Jersey City officials and Brass Works, the developer bears the "sole cost and expense" of restoring the "100 Steps" or "Franklin Street Steps," which were originally built more than a century ago and torn down in the 1990s.

Jersey City Ward D Councilman Bill Gaughan said the developer set aside $250,000 for the project in 2005, but costs have escalated; partly due to requests made by the city engineers. The city applied for $345,000 from the state and recently received $300,000.

The Local Aid Infrastructure Grant requires $55,000 in matching funds, but city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the city is not contributing anything.

Gaughan said the developer has spent $90,000 on the project and Brass Works is working with the city to transfer the remaining $160,000 that was set aside for the project. Gaughan said the city plans to advertise bids for the project.

George Garcia, an attorney for Brass Works, said the total cost of job is estimated at $450,000 to $500,000.

"I think the grant is helpful, but we need to work out a couple of things with the city," Garcia said. "We've already done a lot of work on it. Hopefully it will be done in the next year (2011)."

The Riverview Neighborhood Association delivered a petition to the city earlier this year seeking action on the stalled project.

RNA President Becky Hoffman said her group is concerned about cost overruns and wants written assurance from the city that the project will be completed.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1294125961286760.xml&coll=3

Jersey City takes over '100 Steps' project from developer

Published: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 9:59 PM Updated: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 10:02 PM
By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal

Jersey City tonight formally took over the long-delayed “100 Steps” project from the private developer who had agreed in 2005 to construct them.

The city will use a $300,000 state grant to finish the project, which will connect the Jersey City Heights and a Hoboken Light Rail station.(2nd Street LR)

Brass Works Urban Renewal LLC, developer of The Cliffs, had been on the hook for the project since 2005, when the city Zoning Board granted variances for the then-condominium complex in exchange for several public improvements.

According to an Aug. 11, 2005 redevelopment agreement signed by Jersey City officials and Brass Works, the developer bears the “sole cost and expense” of restoring the “100 Steps” or “Franklin Street Steps,” which were originally built more than a century ago and torn down in the 1990s.

Brass Works had set aside $250,000 for the project, of which $140,000 is remaining. The developer will give the city that money and the construction plans.

According to the resolution passed unanimously by the Jersey City City Council tonight, the city must take over the project in order for it to be eligible for the state grant.

Construction on the steps was delayed “for various reasons including the need to revise engineering drawings because of changes requested by the city,” the resolution states.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/01/jersey_city_takes_over_100_ste.html

JCMAN320

January 15th, 2011, 08:54 PM

Pole Position opens its first East Coast go-kart track facility in Jersey City. It is a chain of uipscale go-kart facilities!! It is now open!!

Jersey City Will Soon be Home to an 80,000 Square Foot Indoor Kart Raceway
By Jon Whiten • Nov 22nd, 2010 • Category: Blog, News

The kart-racing chain Pole Position Raceway will soon open its first-ever location on the East Coast right here in Jersey City. The 80,000-square-foot facility will have two quarter-mile tracks and emission-free karts.

The local franchise, which is set to open “in the coming weeks” according to a press release, is owned by Eyal Farage.

“Ever since I was introduced to Pole Position Raceway, I wanted to bring it to the East Coast, and there isn’t a better market or location,” he says in a statement. “I think people are going to be really amazed at what we’ve created.”

The Caven Point Road facility will allow up to 10 drivers per track, on all-electric emission-free indoor karts that can go up to 45 miles per hour.

“The experience is authentic, competitive, fun and green,” Farage says. “Building a green facility was very important to me.”

There will be both adult and junior karts, and the location will also include a cafe, video and arcade games, meeting and party rooms, and other creature comforts.

But the main focus will be on the racing, which a company official says is very authentic.

“In most cases, this is the closest thing to real racing that people will ever experience,” says Ken Faught, president of P2R Karting, which franchises the tracks. “The karts are made in Europe and accelerate quicker than traditional gas-powered karts. This makes it very challenging and fun to navigate turns on a track with nine other drivers vying for the finish line; the company’s motto is ‘built for racers’ by racers.’”

Mayor Healy says the karting facility will further solidify Jersey City’s growing reputation as a tourist attraction.

“We are aggressively marketing Jersey City as a global brand, which is home to international dining, several world class hotels, national landmarks, cultural and leisure activities,” he says. “With the addition of Pole Position Raceway to our list of attractions, we are fast becoming a premier tourist destination.”

The raceway will also bring some much-needed jobs to Jersey City, which continues to sag under the highest unemployment rate in more than a decade.

A Pole Position representative says the track will employ about 40 people; most will be on a part-time basis but there will be 10 full-time jobs. The positions will be filled with “the emphasis [on] hiring from the community,” Pole Position’s Karen Davis Farage says, adding that interested individuals can call the number below or fill out the form on their website for more information.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/11/22/jersey-city-will-soon-be-home-to-an-80000-square-foot-indoor-kart-raceway/

Check out the new destination Jersey City website!!!
http://www.destinationjerseycity.com/

http://www.polepositionraceway.com/new-york-jersey-city

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/pole-position-raceway-in-jersey-city-20101215

66nexus

January 15th, 2011, 10:59 PM

That's a nice add for sure. I ultimately like the tourist website (and I know NY is a big draw but I wish they would do more to show off JC's skyline)

JCMAN320

January 16th, 2011, 06:49 PM

With its Kitchen Now Open, Port-o Lounge Pays Homage to Portugal’s Second-Largest City
By Amy Petriello • Jan 5th, 2011 • Category: Featured, Food

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/portolounge.jpg

Filipe Costa is bringing a little Newark flavor to Newark Avenue with Port-o Lounge, a tapas bar and lounge that pays homage to Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city.

“A lot of people are familiar with the Ironbound in Newark, which is very known for Portuguese food,” says Costa. “There are tons of them there; there’s nothing here.”

While Costa admits that’s not quite true, with York Street’s Lisbon Restaurant also serving up Portuguese dishes, he says “that’s not necessarily the same concept” as Port-o Lounge.

“Most Portuguese restaurants are Lisbon style. I’ve never seen anybody mention the second-biggest city in Portugal (Porto),” Costa says. “It’s easy to pronounce; it’s an interesting city. So I decided to name the restaurant after it.”   

The second city is poised to become the leading man on Jersey City’s dining scene after what was an initial slow start.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Porto-picture-1.jpg

The bar opened last July with short hours, opening Thursdays through Saturdays from 8:30 pm to close. But as of early November, the kitchen is up and running, and hours have been extended to six days a week (Tuesday through Sunday), with the kitchen open from noon to 11pm, and the bar is open until 2 am.  

The staggered opening can be chalked up to delays Costa encountered throughout the construction process.

“It took me three years to do something that I had planned to do in a year. That alone could kill a lot of businesses,” he says, citing the permit and inspection processes as particularly lengthy. So although Costa still had to finish constructing the kitchen and needed staff, he had a liquor license that had to be used in order to be renewed.

“I had to open after two years because I had the license and in order to renew it, I had to open regardless,” Costa says. “So I opened with three bottles of Jack Daniels and a few cases of beer. … I wasn’t ready to open, but I had to, because it had taken three years.”

Costa was able to open Port-o with the help of family and friends in the restaurant business.  Costa is from a small town 10 minutes from Porto, which sits on the mouth of the Douro River in northwest Portugal. Porto, meaning “the port” in English, is mainly known for its namesake wine — port. When Costa moved to America at 17 (he’s now 36), he worked in restaurants owned by family and friends. Though he left the restaurant business a while ago, he says that “with their support, I was able to put this together.”

Costa says he decided on a tapas bar rather than a full-fledged restaurant because it’s more accommodating.   

“Some people like to go out just for a drink, and they don’t want to go to a ‘restaurant’ restaurant,” he says. “You don’t need to come out for a meal — just grab an appetizer.”  

The menu, which features many classic Portuguese dishes, was put together by a family friend who owned three restaurants and has since retired.   

“There are a lot of dishes from Portugal that people don’t do here,” notes Costas. “Either they’re hard to do, or they don’t want to bother with it, or maybe they don’t think people will go for it. So I decided to have those dishes myself.”

Dishes like Polvo a Guillo — slices of octopus sauteed in garlic and olive oil — and Picadinho — marinated pork cubes sauteed with potatoes, chorizo, Portuguese olives and pickles — are classics that Costa loves and encourages diners to try.  

The menu also contains such Portuguese specialities as Francesinha (Little Frenchie).  

“It’s a very, very traditional dish from Porto, the city itself,” Costas says of the dish. “Most of the restaurants in Porto, even in all of Portugal, compete to have the best one.”  

The Francesinha is a sandwich topped with steak, cured ham and fresh sausage, then dipped in sauce, covered with cheese and broiled. (The sauce-covered sandwich is eaten with a fork and knife.) Every restaurant in Porto has its own sauce, a thick beer-and-tomato concoction, for the Francesinha.

“The ingredients are pretty much the same from place to place, but every house has its own sauce,” says Costa. “So they say the secret’s in the sauce.” The chef at Port-o Lounge hasn’t even told Costa what is in his Francesinha sauce — ”but I know it’s pretty good,” he says.  

Port-o Lounge also serves sopas (soups) like Caldo Verde — the traditional Portuguese collard green and sausage soup — and Gaspacho, salads, sandwiches like Prego no Pao (garlic-nailed steak on a bun) and full-sized plates for dinner, such as Linguini com Frutos do Mar — linguini tossed with sauteed scallops, shrimp and clams in garlic red sauce.   

“A lot of people, when they hear pasta, they think Italian restaurants,” says Costa. “I grew up eating pasta. I came to the United States and Portuguese restaurants don’t have pasta on the menu, which I found very very weird.”  

There are also a few vegetarian options, such as Cogumelos Recheados — portobello mushroom caps stuffed with onion, parsley, bread crumbs and parmegiano reggiano — though Costa says “in Portugal, there is no such thing as a vegetarian.”  

The desserts are all made in-house. Toucinho de ceu, an almond and egg yolk pudding, and Serradura — layers of cream filling and crushed biscuits infused with espresso — are very traditional Portuguese dishes.

Complementing the food, the wine list features 35 different wines, from Portugal as well as Spain, America, France, New Zealand, Chile and Australia. Costa plans to add more wine to the menu as he begins to do wine tastings this year.
 
The first two wine tastings will feature wines from Portugal, naturally, but Costa says “eventually, we’ll branch out.” 

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Porto-Picture.jpg

Of course, port is also featured on the wine menu. While the thick, sweet fortified wine is known mainly as an after-dinner drink, it is becoming increasingly known for its mixability. At Port-o, Costa’s bartenders have come up with a few port-based cocktails that are as-yet unnamed (Costa plans to release a cocktail menu soon). Along with wines, Port-o Lounge has sangria, sparkling sangria (made with champagne) and a full bar.  

The bar itself is designed for both drinking and eating. The bi-level design starts at standard height and dips downward to table height at the end, so that patrons can have both a bar and dining experience.

“It’s comfortable to eat and to interact with the bartender,” says Costa. “You don’t feel like you’re sitting at the bar — but at the same time, you are.”  

There are other modern touches to the lounge, including molded plastic chairs, clear tables and art from local artists who participate in JC Fridays.   

Costa also worked to keep the original details of the space intact, including the brick walls, a large, steel, vault-like door that opens to reveal the wine library, a skylight and ornate ceiling moldings that are all original to the building. Port-o also has a backyard/patio area that is not yet finished. Costa hopes to have it fully furnished by spring for alfresco dining.  

Despite its slow start, Port-o Lounge seems poised to stick around. Costa even plans on opening for brunch in the near future.   

“I’m happy with the area and everything going on with this area [of the city],” Costa says. “Business-wise, I can’t yet analyze. It’s not all about money. As long as I can cover my bills, I’m happy.”

THE DETAILS

Port-o Lounge | 286 1st St. | 201-420-9550 | portolounge.com | Tapas from $9; Dinner $12 to $19.50

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/01/05/with-its-kitchen-now-open-port-o-lounge-pays-homage-to-portugals-second-largest-city%e2%80%a8%e2%80%a8/

JCMAN320

January 18th, 2011, 02:03 AM

First Phase of Landfill-to-Park Redevelopment on Hackensack Riverfront Slated to Be Complete This Summer
By Matt Hunger • Jan 12th, 2011 • Category: Featured, News, Politics

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/PJP-Park-aerial-Final.jpg
A rendering of the future Marion Greenway Park

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jersey City will soon add another former Superfund site to the list of open space parks along the city’s bordering waterways, as it once again reclaims land — this time the old PJP landfill — once thought lost to an industrial past.

Marion Greenway Park will eventually consist of 32.5 acres of restored land, with Phase One of the remediation to be completed by late August of this year and open to the public by summer 2012, according to a representative with Malcolm Pirnie, the consulting firm overseeing the project, who spoke to the City Council at Monday night’s caucus meeting.

Including soccer fields, walking and jogging trails, the development of grass meadows and an elaborate landscape plan, the future parkland, which Jersey City purchased last year for $12.4 million, will be surrounded by a highway, a trucking corporation and other urban industries. The purchase price — payable over three years — has so far been offset by $4 million from the Port Authority and $2.125 million from the Hudson County Open Space fund. The city bonded up to $8.7 million to pay for the remainder, but it continues to pursue additional grant money to cover the cost instead.

The former landfill was made toxic by the mismanagement of dangerous chemicals, but according to Malcolm Pirnie senior associate Gerard Spiesbach, it has already proven to be in better environmental condition than originally thought, with more vegetative growth than expected and significantly less need for venting noxious underground gas buildup.

This is in stark contrast to the site’s toxic history, as outlined by a 1993 report by the New Jersey Department of Health, which called the site a “potential public health concern” and outlined the extent that the contaminated land had been allowed to essentially fester.

“The PJP Landfill was operated as a commercial landfill, accepting chemical and industrial waste, including drums, from about 1968 to 1974. An unknown quantity of hazardous substances were disposed at the site during and after these dates,” it reads. “From 1970 to 1985 subsurface fires, which were attributed to spontaneous combustion and decomposition of landfill materials, burned almost continuously at portions of the landfill. These fires were known to emit large amounts of smoke. All fires at the site were extinguished by 1986.”

The initial remediation plan for the site, as approved by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), called for Waste Management, which is responsible for the first phase of cleanup, to fence the site off to the public, creating what corporation counsel Bill Matsikoudis calls a “no-go zone.”

He says the city “intervened to change the plan” by modifying the grading at which the landfill will be covered in an effort to create a passive, recreational park.

“Jersey City stood up and was aggressive to take this property and make it from a ‘no-go zone’ to a beautiful park,” Matsikoudis said Monday night. Reached on Tuesday, Spiesbach filled us in on the details of how that will be done.

“Large level areas allowing passive recreational uses were created by modifying the grading plans for the landfill closure,” Spiesbach says, adding that this can be done “without any compromise to the environmental protection provided by the approved remedy,” which includes installing a geo-membrane layer with a passive gas collection and venting system, a soil layer and a final vegetative soil layer.

“This approved remedy is an extremely effective method to isolate any historic contamination and is a method that has been successfully utilized throughout the country for former landfill closures,” he says. “The passive gas venting system is provided to collect and vent any gas, primarily methane, formed in the underlying landfill as a result of the decomposition of waste material.”

While Malcolm Pirnie and city officials expect little additional gas to form in the landfill once it is capped, they will take samples and report the findings to the DEP; Spiesbach says “it is likely that the frequency of sampling and reporting will be significantly reduced over time.”

As progress continues on the park’s first phase, the City Council is set to vote this week on three items related to the park’s development. One resolution increases the initial engineering contract with Malcolm Pirnie from $250,000 to $370,000; another resolution authorizes a $121,000 contract to the same company for construction services and air sampling services. And a first-read ordinance would authorize the granting of a 10,000-square-foot permanent easement to JC Broadway, which owns a warehouse business in the area, for $120,000. All three will be on the agenda when the council meets tonight.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/01/12/first-phase-of-landfill-to-park-redevelopment-on-hackensack-riverfront-slated-to-be-complete-this-summer/

Nexis4Jersey

January 18th, 2011, 09:42 AM

^ I was wondering what they were doing over there...good to know that.

66nexus

January 18th, 2011, 01:42 PM

That rendering is tough

JCMAN320

January 18th, 2011, 04:38 PM

Yeah its great. That entire stretch was just an eyesore and dangerous healthwise. The Marion neighborhood is short on parkland so this much needed and welcomed.

66nexus

January 18th, 2011, 05:31 PM

JCMAN320

January 18th, 2011, 06:55 PM

I think it will look perfect. We need more green oasis type areas in this old industrial stretch of NJ. On the one hand, I like Newark's industrial 'meadowlands' for industry and such, but on the other hand it ain't nothin pretty to look at...at all.

I think it would be nice to have a continuous stretch of green space on both sides of Newark bay as well (like the way Branch Brook park just continues through Nwk to Belleville). That JC green space above could be an eventual tourist attraction if they hold more and more events (or perhaps take on some of the Liberty State Park overflow)

Youre right and 32acres is very significant. Iam not sure but I think the walkway and park will cross Duncan Ave and connect to the Western portion of Lincoln Park where they are restoring wetlands and adding a public 9 hole golf course. The wetlands will have a nature path as well. Needless to say this is huge for the entire Westside of Jersey City.

JCMAN320

January 18th, 2011, 11:26 PM

Turnpike Authority plans for trucks to be diverted from Bayonne exit to Jersey City, then travel widened road to Global Terminal and new container port

Friday, January 14, 2011
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A New Jersey Turnpike improvement plan calls for truck traffic to be permanently diverted from a Bayonne exit and directed to a Jersey City exit - a move that Jersey City officials vehemently oppose.

New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials have scheduled public hearings in Bayonne and Jersey City next week to unveil details of plans to divert truck traffic from Exit 14A of the Turnpike extension, near the Global Terminal and the future container port at the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. The trucks would exit the highway at Exit 14B in Jersey City, near the Liberty Science Center and Liberty State Park.

"We believe that this diversion will negatively impact the quality of life for Jersey City residents, because it will increase truck air pollution in Jersey City and impede easy vehicular access to (residential development) Port Liberte," said Jennifer Morrill, Mayor Jerramiah Healy's spokeswoman.

Bayonne spokesman Joe Ryan said yesterday that Mayor Mark Smith has not been briefed on the plans and was not in a position to comment. Ryan said Smith and city officials are scheduled to meet with Turnpike representatives today to discuss the project.

The improvement plan would involve extending the four-lane Route 185, which ends abruptly at Linden Avenue, north to Chapel Avenue - passing Liberty National Golf Course - and toward Caven Point Road to the expanded Interchange 14B, sources said.

A new toll plaza would be built on the south side of Bayview Avenue, near the foot of Bidwell Avenue, Turnpike Authority spokesman Tom Feeney confirmed.

Jersey City officials met with Turnpike officials in November and raised concerns about the project, Morrill said.

The problem with the exit at 14A, Turnpike officials have said, is that there is no way to relieve the heavy congestion at peak hours since the exit is sandwiched between a residential neighborhood on one side and a railway and gas tanks on the other.

Feeney said extending Route 185 is one of several solutions studied by the Turnpike Authority.

The Turnpike Authority will host a public hearing Tuesday at School 41, located at 59 Wilkinson Ave. in Jersey City, and on Thursday at the Washington Community School, 191 Ave. B in Bayonne.

Both meetings are scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-5/129498996894630.xml&coll=3

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Turnpike Authority Will Detail Plans for Exit 14A & 14B Changes at Public Meetings This Week
By Jon Whiten • Jan 18th, 2011 • Category: Blog, News

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/turnpikeauthority.png

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority will brief local residents on its plans to change exits 14A and 14B at public meetings in Jersey City and Bayonne tonight and tomorrow.

The Turnpike Authority will be making the changes in conjunction with the expansion of the Global Marine Terminal port, which straddles the Bayonne/Jersey City border. The port is expected to be receiving more cargo once the Panama Canal is widened in 2014; local port officials have been preparing to be able to receive the larger ships in order to retain the region’s standing as one of the East Coast’s busiest port shipping areas (see: Bayonne Bridge raising and local dredging operations). Construction on the Turnpike project is expected to begin in 2013 and be completed in 2015.

The agency plans to route the truck traffic to exit 14B instead of 14A, which is closer to the ports, bringing a lot of truck traffic through Jersey City. Specifically, the Turnpike Authority would extend Route 185 north to Chapel Avenue (it currently ends at Linden Avenue) and towards an expanded Exit 14B. The proposal is opposed by the Healy administration.

“We believe that this diversion will negatively impact the quality of life for Jersey City residents,” city spokesperson Jennifer Morrill says. “It will increase truck air pollution in Jersey City and impede easy vehicular access to Port Liberte.”

At this week’s meetings, members of the public can ask questions and/or offer feedback, and Turnpike Authority officials will also give a presentation of the changes. The presentation will be at 6 pm, and the “open house” is open from 5 to 8 pm. Tonight the meeting is at School #41 in Jersey City (59 Wilkinson Avenue) and tomorrow the meeting is at Washington School in Bayonne (191 Avenue B).

JCMAN320

January 21st, 2011, 01:18 AM

Downtown Coop Officially Opens its Doors
By Jon Whiten • Jan 19th, 2011 • Category: Blog, Food, News

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/downtowncoop.jpg

After delays with permits and other issues pushed its opening back by several months, the Downtown Coop grocery store in the Hamilton Square development has officially opened to the public.

The store, which is run by Jersey City residents Mary and Dave Suliburk, has been open for a few weeks, offering fresh produce, bread, dairy and meat products that are local and organic when possible.

“Buying and eating local foods supports the sustainable food cycle by limiting the consumers’ carbon purchasing footprint,” Mary Suliburk told us last fall. “By supporting local, independent farms, we support environmentally friendly farming practices, limit shipping costs and the chemicals necessary to keep food fresh, while minimizing the fuels necessary to ship foods great distances and adding to the ability of local farms to earn a living wage. Local is healthier — for our bodies and planet.”

Traditionally, co-op food stores are collectively owned operations whose members pay a fee to join and in return have a say in how the store is run and what goods — usually local, natural, organic, or some combination of the three — are carried. But Downtown Coop breaks with that formula, differing from other cooperative grocery stores — like the Jersey City Food Co-op — by offering a varying degrees of involvement for members and by being open to non-members as well.

Downtown Coop’s approach includes the following options:

-You can become a member for a one-time fee of $100, and work in the store. Members have a say in how the store is run, organized, and stocked; they also receive a discount on purchases.
-If you want to become a member, but don’t want to work in the store, you can pay an additional annual fee of $50.
-If you don’t want to do either, you can still shop in the store, but you’ll pay full retail price.

“We are so pleased to welcome Downtown Coop to the Hamilton Square family of distinctive retailers,” says Paul Silverman, whose SILVERMAN company is Hamilton Square’s developer. “Our savvy residents are already enjoying the benefits of membership, and the store’s concept is also resonating with the greater community because of its attention to local, fresh and affordable products. You can’t find anything else like it in the area.”

Downtown Coop is currently open seven days a week; for more information call 201-855-6767 or visit www.downtowncoop.com.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/01/19/downtown-coop-officially-opens-its-doors/

Photo courtesy of Downtown Coop

JCMAN320

January 21st, 2011, 12:40 PM

Hudson County Community College opens Welcome Center at Journal Square Transportation Center, ready to steer visitors and serve current students

Tuesday, January 18, 2011
By ASHLEY STRAIN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

http://media.nj.com/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/9203661-large.jpg
Michael T. Dempsey/The Jersey Journal

Senator Robert Menendez speaks at the grand opening of the Hudson County Community College Welcome Center at One Path Plaza at Journal Square.

In space at the Journal Square Transportation Center, the Hudson County Community College's Welcome Center is now open.

"We wanted to provide a central location where people seeking information about the college could visit seven days a week, and then be directed to those programs and services that are of interest to them," HCCC President Glen Gabert said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Tuesday.

The 1,900-square-foot center is located at One PATH Plaza, just up the escalator from the Journal Square PATH Station in Jersey City.

The Welcome Center, with a total cost of $780,744, features a computer lab equipped with 29 stations, Wi-Fi Internet access, a host of computer programs, a support desk and Smart Board to better meet the technological needs of current students.

"This is just one more step on a long list of accomplishments we would like to happen here at Hudson County Community College," said William J. Netchert, chairman of the HCCC Board of Trustees.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/01/hudson_county_community_colleg_11.html
http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1295335561224120.xml&coll=3

lofter1

January 22nd, 2011, 11:41 PM

We're coming up to the 100th anniversary of the big explosion (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70714FE3F5D16738DDDAA0894DA405B 818DF1D3&scp=1&sq=communipaw%20explosion&st=cse) at Communipaw (http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/pages/C_Pages/Communipaw.htm), when 25 tons of TNT exploded just after noon on February 1, 1911 (not to be confused with a separate explosion nearby at Black Tom Island (http://www.eaglespeak.us/2007/06/sunday-ship-history-attack-on-united.html), the work of German saboteurs, in March 1916 (http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/23/nyregion/on-the-map-explosion-by-the-hudson-foreign-espionage-local-fear-1916.html?scp=4&sq=black%20tom%20explosion&st=cse)). Black Tom Island was also the site of an earlier explosion, when a powder factory there blew up (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00E16F73C59117B93C5A8178AD85F418784F9) in March 1875, instantly killing four men.

The 1911 explosion killed at least 24 people (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20C14F93A5A17738DDDAB0894DA405B818DF1D3) and injured hundreds. Lax regulations (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F70714FE3F5D16738DDDAA0894DA405B818DF1D3) were blamed. It was so huge that buildings in Manhattan shook and furniture slid across the floor of skyscrapers; folks thought it was an earthquake (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00C14F93A5A17738DDDAB0894DA405B818DF1D3). The Jersey Central Railroad Station was heavily damaged (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F10C14F93A5A17738DDDAB0894DA405B818DF1D3). Four windows in the crown of the Statue of Liberty were blown out and 6 of the 35 electric lights in Liberty's torch were broken.

Communipaw was from early times a Lenape settlement of the Hackensack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communipaw#Lenape). Henry Hudson anchored off shore in 1609 and almost immediately the New Netherland Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communipaw#New_Netherland) established a trading post there. The village was memorialized by Washington Irving (http://www.online-literature.com/irving/3687/).

Communipaw in the mid 1800s:

11977

11978

11979

Communipaw, 1860:
http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Images/G_Images/Greenville_grove_map_1860_NJR_Large.jpg

Thomas Moran:. Lower Manhattan From Communipaw (1880):
http://www.steveartgallery.se/upload1/file-admin/images/new12/Thomas%20Moran-856687.jpg

The story of the 1916 sabotage (http://books.google.com/books?id=cc7w6pZFvPsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22The+Detonators%22+millman&source=bl&ots=t5Yc8uLNXt&sig=dh2DE0lw3i6QCI3tmTEnxqz9WkY&hl=en&ei=yp87Tee3GcGclgeottTlBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false) is told by author Chad Millman:

The Detonators: The Secret Plot to Destroy America and an Epic Hunt for Justice (https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol51no1/the-detonators-the-secret-plot-to-destroy-america-and-an-epic-hunt-for-justice.html)

http://img2.wantitall.co.za/images/ShowImage.aspx?ImageId=The-Detonators-The-Secret-Plot-to-Destroy-America-and-an-Epic-Hunt-for-Justice%7C51Xn7fEYl-L.jpg

After the 1916 explosion:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_E-QOnTGFX_o/RmLoFGoyfVI/AAAAAAAABDI/8lZo_uW6p50/s320/Black_Tom_I_LSP.jpg

http://cdn3.iofferphoto.com/img/item/846/496/51/o_BlackTomIsland.jpg

stache

January 23rd, 2011, 02:57 AM

lofter, is there a Wiki page for this?

lofter1

January 23rd, 2011, 01:03 PM

Wikipedia has an entry for Communipaw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communipaw), but there is no mention of these historical incidents.

lofter1

January 24th, 2011, 02:24 PM

An Explosive Situation

As the Natural Gas Rush Heats Up,
Fears About Pipeline Safety are not Overblown

COUNTERPUNCH (http://counterpunch.com/checker01212011.html)
By MELISSA CHECKER
January 21, 2011

Earlier this week (January 18), a natural gas line exploded in Philadelphia killing one person and injuring six. Just four months ago, another natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California creating a fireball that ripped through a residential neighborhood killing eight people and injuring many more. In the San Bruno case, neither the mayor nor most residents living near the blast had any idea that a 30-inch pipeline ran through their neighborhood. But safety advocates and transportation officials have long been concerned about the ramifications of a growing number of pipelines in densely populated areas.

Nearly three years ago, those concerns gave birth to the Pipeline Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA), a coalition of government officials, pipeline operators, pipeline safety experts and members of the general public. Last month, PIPA released its recommendations for development around pipelines. Yet, the alarms sounded by the San Bruno incident seem long forgotten -- the report’s release has attracted almost no public attention.

This particular case of national amnesia is downright dangerous. A natural gas rush is sweeping the U.S., and pipelines are proliferating in crowded metropolitan areas. As they vie for subterranean space with layers of other urban infrastructure, the potential for explosions multiplies. But federal regulations have been slow to address the complexities of metropolitan pipelines, and in many cases, pipeline owners and operators have dubious safety records. As the December report makes clear, public vigilance and continued pressure are increasingly essential in preventing more incidents like the one in San Bruno.

Rising Risks

Natural gas is certainly not a new energy source, and for the most part, natural gas explosions have been fairly rare. In 2009, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) reported 10 deaths and 59 injuries from natural gas pipeline accidents, most commonly caused by equipment failure and corrosion. However, a single pipeline accident can wreak great havoc. For example, 12 people were killed in 2000 when a natural gas transmission pipeline ruptured near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Three people died in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 2005 after a pipeline explosion, and between 2007 and 2010 faulty natural gas pipeline connections killed seven people in Texas.

Today, the PHMSA itself points out the risk of such explosions are multiplying for several reasons. First, experts believe that the life expectancy for steel pipes is approximately 50 years -- roughly 38% of the US’s onshore pipelines were built prior to 1960. Second, whereas pipelines originally traveled largely through rural areas, most of those have now developed into urban and suburban regions. In fact, more than 195,000 miles of natural gas pipelines carry fuel through the nation’s densely populated regions. Finally, as the US tries to wean itself off of coal, it is increasingly turning to natural gas as a “bridge” fuel. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, projects scheduled to complete by 2011 will add 10,200 miles to the country’s existing pipeline network ...

An Explosive Situation?: A Close Look at the Case of New York & New Jersey

Improving public access to the whereabouts of pipelines is particularly critical in dense urban areas. A leading cause of pipeline accidents is the “careless digging” of construction and maintenance crews, according to the DOT. The denser the area, the more crowded it is with infrastructure and the higher the chance of digging accidents.

Take for instance, the case of the New York City area where Spectra Energy, one of the nation’s largest natural gas infrastructure companies, is proposing to build approximately 20 miles of new natural gas pipeline. The line would run across Staten Island and southwestern NJ, under the Hudson River and terminate at Manhattan’s trendy meatpacking district where it would connect to utility lines. According to Spectra’s timeline, pipeline construction will coincide with several major building projects. Just a block away from where the pipeline enters Manhattan, the new Whitney Museum is scheduled to break ground in May 2011. A block in the other direction, a new 12,000 foot, 3-story high-end restaurant will undergo construction around the same time. Where the pipeline enters Manhattan a new riverfront park is soon scheduled to receive baseball fields, batting cages, and a play lawn.

The Hudson Park River Trust, which manages the park, has expressed confidence that safety will not be an issue. Similarly, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has voiced support for the project as a way to help the city decrease its reliance on oil and coal. On the Jersey side, however, politicians are not so sanguine.

Spectra maintains that the pipeline will generate millions of dollars in easement fees and other revenue for local municipalities, bringing $2 million/year to Jersey City alone. Yet that city’s Mayor, Jerramiah Healy, become one of the project’s most vocal opponents contending that the project will lower property values and complicate the city’s ongoing efforts to service its aging water and sewer infrastructure. In addition, Healy pointed out that the Spectra pipeline would travel through industrial areas already crowded with flammable materials. Not only do fuel tanks line Jersey’s Bayonne shore, but a factory adjacent to the proposed pipeline route also houses a containment vessel for anhydrous ammonia (a highly volatile gas).

Spectra spokespeople maintain that fears of natural gas leaks are overblown. The NY/NJ pipelines “will be built to exceed highest safety standards set by federal government,” said spokeswoman Mary Hanley. In response to residents’ concerns, Spectra recently launched a website (http://www.yesgaspipeline.org/) announcing that it will increase the pipes’ thickness in places and bury it up to 60 feet below ground. Inspectors will physically examine the land covering pipelines seven times a week and meter stations will continuously monitor the line for leaks and pressure loss. The line will also contain several valves that can be closed by remote.

However, safety advocates contend that neither physical exams nor automatic shut off valves are full-proof. Physical inspectors cannot forestall accidents and automated systems have been known to fail. Any such glitch could be cataclysmic – the pipeline route parallels the New Jersey Turnpike, Holland Tunnel, and PATH train lines and it crosses the West Side Highway. Moreover, Jersey City opponents claim that the proposed pipeline comes close to several public schools.

Foxes and Henhouses

Many such issues are addressed by the PIPA report’s 50 recommendations. Recommended Practice #20 specifically mentions how to handle pipelines that come close to schools. However, on close inspection, PIPA’s language is vague and somewhat confounding. For example, they suggest that developers locate facilities like schools, daycares, hospitals, and nursing homes in locations that reduce “the potential of interference with transmission pipeline operations and maintenance” and “the consequences that could result from a transmission pipeline incident” without going into further detail or recommending buffer zones.

Equally vague are recommendations for communicating about the risks of pipelines near schools. The report states, “Transmission pipelines near schools and day care centers will attract more attention. Be prepared to talk about what is being done to manage and mitigate risk.” It then goes on to suggest that developers work jointly with school administrators to educate students about pipeline operations and safety and to develop emergency evacuation plans.

A look at the list of PIPA members provides some insight into the report’s ambiguity and ambivalence. Of its 130 members, a majority are from utility, oil and gas companies, or PHMSA itself ...

FULL ARTICLE (http://counterpunch.com/checker01212011.html)

tbal

January 27th, 2011, 11:40 AM

Perhaps during the next boom in the coming years we will finally see Harborside 4 built.

http://www.globest.com/news/1838_1838/newjersey/306425-1.html

Nexis4Jersey

January 27th, 2011, 01:38 PM

Why are there so many parking lots in Downtown , are there any plans to build up all the open spaces?

JCMAN320

January 27th, 2011, 06:33 PM

Yes Nexis there are. Remember prior to 80s everything East of Marin Blvd and North of C.Columbus Dr. all the way to the River was all rail yards and warehouses. So anything that has been built was built on a former lot. Since they started building they needed to extend the street grid and turn those lots into parking for temporary purposes. Multiple former lots are no buildings. The lots down there act as overflow lots till they are built on.

mariab

January 27th, 2011, 10:42 PM

Very heartening to read this.
Jersey City mayor and police union's exec board reach deal to avert layoffs

Published: Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 6:16 PM Updated: Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 7:55 PM

Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and Jersey City POBA President Jerry DeCicco announced today that the executive board of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association voted to bring a proposal to the full membership that would avert the layoff of 82 police officers.
The layoffs are scheduled to take place on Feb. 15, 2011.
The full membership is expected to vote on the proposal by early next week, city officials said in a press release.

“We are pleased that unlike so many other cities around the state and across the country who during this New Great Depression are having to layoff police officers, Jersey City is working to chart a different course,” said Mayor Healy. “If this agreement is approved by the full union membership, not a single officer will be laid off and our taxpayers will be able to count on the same level of extraordinary service while feeling some financial relief.”
“Mayor Healy and the Jersey City POBA each want to save the jobs of these 82 police officers and keep the streets of Jersey City safe,” said Jerry DeCicco, President of the Jersey City POBA. “We are working together to find a solution that will avert layoffs, protect Jersey City residents and businesses, and save money for the city’s taxpayers. We have less than one month until these layoffs take effect on February 15, and hope to have a favorable outcome well before then.”
Both the Healy administration and union officials refused to release details about the agreement, but sources said that the police union officials agreed to a one-week pay lag for the officers, which will save the city nearly $4 million this year.

The officers would receive the one-week pay when they retire.
In return for this concession, the officers gained two comp days this year, will receive an extra day's pay when they retire, and the city agreed not to take away the officers' $1,300-a-year uniform allowance, sources said.

After union members vote, the City Council will have to approve what will be an addendum to the current police union's contract.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/01/jersey_city_mayor_and_police_u.html

JCMAN320

February 2nd, 2011, 06:55 PM

^^Yes I posted that in the JC news and events thread. This is great news on top of that Hudson County Sheriff will now patrol 24/7 instead of just during the day. They will act as an auxilary police force to JC along with the Port Authroity, NJ Transit, NJ State Park Police departments. Here is some more news:

With Construction Set to Begin in June, Jersey City Awards $3.6M in Contracts for New DPW/JCIA Building
By Matt Hunger • Jan 27th, 2011 • Category: Featured, News, Politics

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/lindenave.png

State-of-the-art facility or glorified parking garage. Regardless of how the specifics are depicted — by the administration and Ward E councilman Steven Fulop, respectively — the City Council was updated this week on the development of the Linden Avenue East site where the new Department of Public Works (DPW) and Jersey City Incinerator Authority (JCIA) shared facility will be.

The status report from Donald Henry, a partner at Urbahn Architects, the firm responsible for the planning of the new facility, came at Monday night’s caucus meeting, two days before the council on Wednesday passed four resolutions related to the project, approving three new contracts — $2.3 million for site preparation, $796,000 for construction management and $273,000 for environmental engineering contract — and increasing Urbahn’s initial contract by $249,000 to $2 million.

The construction, which will cost approximately $58 million, is part of a larger plan that will relocate the DPW and JCIA from their current locations along the Hackensack River to make way for the massive Bayfront development there. The City Council approved nearly $67 million in bonds related to the DPW/JCIA relocation last year, on top of $24 million in bonds previously issued for the city to purchase the Linden Avenue site, which will also house the Jersey City Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit. Construction is scheduled to begin in June, and the entire project will be completed by May of 2013, according to the schedule presented to the council.

On Monday, Henry gave the council updates on the site preparation process, and a schedule for the actual construction — which will be open for bidding in May. He also detailed a redesign that had been made to address some unforeseen problems around the site. (See a PDF of his slideshow presentation here.)

The project hit a minor snag when it was discovered that the local sewer overflow system “is overloaded and spills out storm water during minor storm events.” With that in mind, Henry outlined a revision to the plan that he said would avoid a lengthy process of seeking approvals from the NJ Transit, Conrail, and the Tropicana factory in the area to address the overflow directly. This alternate plan would also keep the city from having to acquire more land.

“The end results are benefits to the project — eliminating the need for property acquisition, reduced overall construction cost, and avoiding the storm overflow problem,” Henry said.

The redesigned plan would consolidate the operations onto a smaller parcel of land, and make better use of the existing retaining walls rather than constructing additional ones. It saves money too, according to Henry, who said $2 million would be saved by not acquiring additional property. While the new design will cost $250,000 more than the old one, the difference will easily be covered by the cost savings.

The new building is to be built to high environmental standards, as mandated by the green-building law the city passed in 2009. The DPW/JCIA building is being built to meet LEED Platinum standards — the highest of several certification levels offered by the U.S. Green Building Council — and Henry estimated the green construction would save a projected $379,000 each year on energy costs, in addition to the broader environmental benefits.

But not everyone was impressed with the LEED details. Ward E councilman Steven Fulop took issue with the idea, saying that while it “sounded like good idea,” given the city budget crisis, perhaps it isn’t a necessity.

Henry insisted that building to the LEED Platinum standard would add just 2 percent of the construction cost to the total bill, an amount that would be covered by just three years of energy savings. But Fulop claimed he’d heard much higher projections from other developers, who who said the LEED cost could be as high as 10 to 20 percent of the total construction price tag.

“It’s difficult to believe [this will cost only] 2 percent of the construction cost,” he said. “It’s for 1,200 cars — essentially a garage with some offices on top. There’s a reason why there’s only one or two [LEED Platinum certified buildings] in the state.”

Reached Wednesday, Fulop said his opposition to the LEED certification is based purely on economics, and he still thinks the city can pursue environmentally friendly building policies — without pursuing LEED.

“I’m all for green buildings, but getting the LEED Platinum certification is prohibitively expensive,” he said. “You can still use solar panels and other green technology for the building and just not get it certified as LEED.”

But corporation counsel Bill Matsikoudis countered that LEED “has changed a lot,” adding that there is an “ongoing” process brought on by changing technology that is “reduc[ing] the cost to meet LEED status.”

He also said that the city would not be paying for the construction of the solar panels on top of the facility. Reached Tuesday, he explained further.

“The solar panels are ‘free’ with regard to the capital spending. There is not debt created for the installation of photovoltaic panels,” he said. ”The city will pay for the panels with a service agreement that will allow a developer to install the system on the city property, and the city will benefit from the renewable energy generated by paying a fee out of operating expenses.”

Another issue complicating the discussion is the fate of both agencies. With the merger of the two currently on hold, and no further plan having been submitted to the council, Ward A councilman Michael Sottolano said he’d asked the Healy administration in a letter to provide a reorganization plan, in part to be used to ensure the size and extent of the new facility could be determined definitively.

However, assistant business administrator Greg Corrado said that the initial plan already took into consideration that there would be fewer total employees as per the administration’s long-standing goal to consolidate the agencies.

Rendering of the site via Urbahn Architects

This is the entire presentation here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/47661436/Update-on-Linden-Avenue-Facility-from-Urbahn-Architects

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/01/27/with-construction-set-to-begin-in-june-jersey-city-awards-3-6m-in-contracts-for-new-dpwjcia-building/

JCMAN320

February 21st, 2011, 09:42 PM

JCMAN320

February 21st, 2011, 09:55 PM

Perhaps during the next boom in the coming years we will finally see Harborside 4 built.

http://www.globest.com/news/1838_1838/newjersey/306425-1.html

That would be nice Tbal; I think during the next office boom Harborside 4 and 7 will be built; those places have the most room and zoned to build office buildings. The only other place Downtown that would see new office space would be the lot next to Goldman Sachs and the lot between 77 Hudson and 101 Hudson. Everything else along the Waterfront right now is zoned for residential.

tbal

February 21st, 2011, 10:21 PM

Whatever happened to Goldman's plans to build at 40 Hudson? I guess that maybe they're waiting for their new space at the NYC headquarters to fill up before they begin building additional space...

JCMAN320

February 21st, 2011, 10:44 PM

Whatever happened to Goldman's plans to build at 40 Hudson? I guess that maybe they're waiting for their new space at the NYC headquarters to fill up before they begin building additional space...

That was going to be a hotel and training center for Goldman Sachs but its been put on hold.

futurecity

February 26th, 2011, 02:16 PM

Wow, JC really cooled off.. more like iced off.

Newarkguy

February 27th, 2011, 12:01 PM

Wow, JC really cooled off.. more like iced off.

Maybe because everything built up to last year,was already financed before the great recession. Now we enter a significant timeline of no builds reflecting the non approval of construction loans from 2009-today.

arcman210

February 27th, 2011, 04:09 PM

Unfortunately thats the same everywhere. Though it finally looks as if things are starting to change.

tbal

March 6th, 2011, 10:58 AM

I don't think a rendering of it has ever been posted on here, but I stumbled across one for the stalled 109-113 Columbus drive (which had most of its foundation work completed about four years ago, but has yet to rise about street level). The plans call for having a restaurant/bar at street level. It's a great looking building IMO:

12426

I also came across this elevation view and floor plan for the retail at 455 Washington Boulevard, the DoubleTree expansion to street (next to the Monaco towers). It will be a two-story, 6,000 sf addition:
12427

12428

And lastly, here's an updated rendering of the One Journal Square retail base:
12429

JCMAN320

March 6th, 2011, 05:48 PM

I heard that the Doubletree expansion work should start this summer. That building on Christopher C. was one of two to be built on that street the other being on the corner of Barrow and Christopher C. I don't know when they will be resumed/started.

One JSQ I don't think will be built for another 5 years IMO; atleast till the market stabilizes.

On a side note while building of large development projects have slowed here in JC smaller projects such as renovations businesses opening and small scale developments have continued.

JoeSas

March 8th, 2011, 12:38 PM

109-113 columbus drive has had a for sale sign on the fence of the propery for ages. that stretch of columbus, on both sides, is a disgrace. There has been a little bit of clean-up going on across the street but not enough.

JCMAN320

March 9th, 2011, 04:52 PM

Investors sought for marina

Monday, February 21, 2011
By TERRENCE T. McDONALD
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The City of Jersey City, which owns 30 acres of land in the Hudson River, is hoping to lure investors into building a marina on the property.

The land is located between the Harborside Financial Center at the end of Second Street and the Newport Pier at the end of Sixth Street, and juts out about 100 feet from the shoreline.

Featuring postcard views of Manhattan, the proposed marina would have an area for members of the public to stroll and fish; and boaters could dock their vessels there and then go enjoy Downtown Jersey City or New York City, said Jersey City Redevelopment Agency Director of Development Ben Delisle.

The marina would not have a restricted membership, Delisle stressed. "If you got a boat and you can pay for it, it's open to anybody," he said.

The JCRA, which would own the marina but contract out the management of it, is seeking proposals from developers. The cost to build the marina, which would be picked up by the developer, will remain unknown until the proposals come in, Delisle said.

Joel Meisel of the Maryland-based commercial real estate firm Meisel Capital Partners was one of about 15 investors from several different firms who attended a Feb. 17 tour of the waterfront site.

Meisel Capital calls itself the "preeminent marina operator in the Chesapeake Bay," with 1,200 slips in three different Maryland locations. Meisel said he's interested in the Jersey City site because of its proximity to mass transit. "This is an excellent location," he said.

During the Feb. 17 meeting with possible investors, Delisle said the JCRA was open to negotiating a number of items aside from membership requirements. The city wants the marina open to anyone who can afford to pay for a slip, he said.

He also indicated the city would like to keep the costs of a slip under control.

The city wants to know "rates aren't just going to jump wildly all over the place," he said.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1298273105205280.xml&coll=3

Jersey City Resident Proposing Large-Scale Floating Marina Complex in the Hudson
By Ron Callari • Mar 9th, 2011 • Category: Lead Story, News

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/gallery/floating-marina-proposal/jc-floating-marina-proposal-1.jpg http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/gallery/floating-marina-proposal/jc-floating-marina-proposal-jcpac.jpg http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/gallery/floating-marina-proposal/jc-floating-marina-map.png

Iconic architecture is often known to captivate one’s sense of wanderlust. It leaves its mark on the mind’s eye and adds to our collective desire for travel. The Taj Mahal is a marvel that certainly falls into this category, but a building doesn’t have to be historic to appeal to us. Dating back only 40 years, the Sydney Opera House has captivated our imagination with its dramatic architecture and sweeping lines, cascading out over Australia’s famous harbor. Its award-winning design, conceived by Danish architect Jørn Oberg Utzon, has been an inspiration for architects the world over.

Such is the thought process that led Jersey City resident Raphael D’Angelis and his firm Design Concept Depot to create a venue proposal that would literally put Jersey City on the map.

“‘Destination, Jersey City’ is not an inconceivable proposition,” D’Angelis says. “Often dismissed as the gauche side of the Hudson, Jersey City is the ‘unofficial borough’ of Manhattan that really has the best views of New York City — it’s priceless.”

D’Angelis and his team, together with award-winning architect Carlo Frugiuele, have completed a design package to create a floating marina complex on 30 acres of land located between the Harborside Financial Center at the end of 2nd Street extending to the Newport Pier at the corner of 6th Street and jutting out approximately 100 feet from the coastline. Differing from the unique shell-like structure of the Sydney Opera House, the design elements of D’Angelis’ plan is a visual delight, as the seven buildings to be constructed bring to mind a school of fish basking on the coastline of the Hudson River.

It’s long been D’Angelis’ dream to change the perception of Jersey City.

“To accomplish this feat, you need fresh ideas, innovators, and a team that’s willing to push boundaries,” he says. “Jersey City has an ideal location to build something spectacular for not only the residents, but if built correctly, we’ll be able to draw people from New York and even international tourists from around the world.”

So instead of adding just another marina to the Jersey City coastline (the city already has three that are presently underutilized) his “out of the box” approach would feature a mixed-use complex of high-end retail shops (think Dolce Gabbana and Hermes Paris) and restaurants, a 5-star hotel, front-office corporate headquarters (as opposed to the back-office corporate facilities so prevalent in the city), an indoor/outdoor art park and a 3,000-seat performing arts center that could also be utilized for small-to-midsize trade shows and conventions. The 360-slip marina would be large enough to house 100 to 200 foot yachts that cannot currently be accommodated at any of Jersey City’s existing marinas.

In tandem with D’Angelis’ proposal, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA), which owns the marina site, has issued a “Request For Proposals” from marina developers to be submitted by today, March 9. According to the JCRA, the cost to build the marina would be absorbed by the developer and would not be disclosed until all proposals have been submitted. Less far-reaching in scope than D’Angelis’ plan, the JCRA is looking solely at the marina component for the site that would cater to local residents and a convenient stop for yachters making the “Great Circle” that commences with the Hudson River and circumnavigates the East Coast. The guidelines call for limited commercial outlets, which is one of the marked differences with D’Angelis’ proposal.

D’Angelis says two factors led him to submit his proposal to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rather than to the JCRA.

First, his design concept would require a build-out onto the Hudson River, which is owned by the state, not the city, and the DEP is the regulatory body that approves projects that incorporate water rights. D’Angelis also notes that his project is “outside the scope” of the JCRA’s RFP, and so his advisors think it would be quicker to “take the DEP route.”

With an estimated cost of $500 million, D’Angelis sees his proposal as having a significant return on investment and an instant benefit to other developers in the area. He also estimates that construction and temporary jobs created by the project would peak at 4,000, with more than 6,000 jobs created post-construction.

“Jersey City has seen five years of commercial real estate stagnation,” D’Angelis says, adding that there is a “price to pay for inaction.”

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/03/09/jersey-city-resident-proposing-large-scale-floating-marina-complex-in-the-hudson/

tbal

March 9th, 2011, 11:59 PM

If this gets built, people who bought at Crystal Pointe will probably wage war against the city...

mariab

March 25th, 2011, 06:10 PM

6 accused of unlawful payments to union for NJ construction project

10:52 AM, Mar. 23, 2011

<H6>Written by

The Associated Press

Filed Under
News (http://www.app.com/section/NJNEWS)
New Jersey News (http://www.app.com/section/NJNEWS10)

NEWARK — Federal authorities have arrested two people in New Jersey and four in New York on fraud and embezzlement charges stemming from a Jersey City construction project.
Anselmo Genovese is charged in two separate indictments stemming from his role as a project manager for New York-based 160 Broadway Concrete. The subcontractor was working on the high-rise construction project at 77 Hudson Street in Jersey City.

The Staten Island, N.Y., resident is accused of conspiring to make unlawful payments to the then-business manager of Laborers' Local 325 in Jersey City so the company could use laborers from New York locals instead.

Prosecutors say the deal cost the New Jersey Building Laborers' Statewide Benefit Funds approximately $1.7 million.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110323032

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tbal

April 17th, 2011, 10:05 PM

Construction is resuming after a 4.5-year hold at 833 Jersey Avenue, which will be a 7-story building and was first mentioned on this board way back in August of 2006. There are several pieces of excavation equipment, a rig, and supplies onsite for initial work to resume. See rendering below:

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http://wirednewyork.com/forum/images/misc/pencil.png

tbal

April 25th, 2011, 10:54 PM

On kannekt, someone discovered that a 20-story rental building may in fact be going in at 833 Jersey Ave. There is testing going on there similar to what was done before the Monaco towers were constructed, so it seems possible. But it appears that the Planning Board never approved such a building for that site (unless it happened before the 7-story condo building was approved). It does seem more likely that a rental building would be going in instead of a condo building given the housing market outlook. In any case, here is a rendering of the truly excellent rental building design, by Devino Architects. Check out their site for more (under "Cast Iron Lofts"):

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Link: http://www.devinoarchitects.com/projects1.html

Marv95

April 26th, 2011, 10:53 AM

I don't get the rush for development in that area, from a mass transit standpoint. The two light stations are hardly used compared to Essex Street or even Liberty Park. The area looks deserted, even the buildings.

JCMAN320

April 26th, 2011, 02:43 PM

Its really the last undeveloped section of Downtown with the exception of the Northern quadrant of Newport. The new Van Leer Chocolate condos on Hoboken Ave will have a connecting walkway to the 2nd St. HBLR station. They have started work on the site. The 833 site right across from the Hoboken/JC boarder and a block from the Van Leer project. They are really going to try and make that pedestrian extension work.

The area once developed will be great to see. Even the Lackawanna Center is getting redeveloped.

Malcontent

April 27th, 2011, 12:11 PM

Regarding Lackawanna, is that where the Cake Boss's new facility is going to be? I can see that bringing a ton of foot traffic to the area. Can anyone confirm?

JCMAN320

April 27th, 2011, 01:49 PM

Yes he moved his offices and industrial baking there already. The whole thing will be redeveloped in the near future.

ianmac47

May 2nd, 2011, 04:46 PM

I'm guessing the expansion of the DoubleTree hotel would mean the San Remo will never be built, or at least long put off.

JCMAN320

May 2nd, 2011, 05:03 PM

Put off most likely. The front of the Doubletree is getting extended to the street not around the 4th St. side.

tbal

May 2nd, 2011, 11:27 PM

The next large buildings to go up will be the set of towers revealed late last year for Newport, 833 Jersey Ave, and 105 York Street (the latter two of these had environmental cleanup notices posted onsite at the end of March).

citybooster

May 3rd, 2011, 03:32 AM

What is 105 York Street supposed to look like?The Newport buildings look like an upgrade from most of those drab ones built before the Shore Towers(which in themselves are better but no great shakes architecturally)The only Newport building remotely interesting is Aquablu with its geometric setbacks and to a lesser degree the brick Pacific Tower which still is much warmer than the cold,soulless buildings around it.Sorry to see that the South City Grill restaurant on the first floor of that building has closed down,heard good things about it.

833 Jersey Avenue(as it appears now the Cast Iron Lofts)will be a marvelous addition,its new 20 story,modern/industrial look a great upgrade from the frankly okay but uninspired 7 story glass building originally intended.It has character,which we should demand from if not all the vast majority of our newer buildings....when the new wave of construction really gets going as it will let's get more bang for the bucks,especially if they get big abatements.Build with a sense of purpose....and I'm hoping for one Toll Btothers for example drastically rethinks its completely uninspired three tower eyesore in the area of the old Manischewitz plant.If not,let's try to get the best architecture for the area we can.....maybe a Stephen Fulop administration would be a good start for a saner downtown/waterfront development and overall Jersey City development.

tbal

May 8th, 2011, 11:17 AM

citybooster - I haven't seen renderings of 105 York Street, but if I remember correctly from the Planning Board notice, the building is supposed to be either 12 or 14 stories.

Anyway, so it appears that there's a chance 1 Journal Square might get underway this coming Fall. According to bidclerk.com, a Request for Bid was put out in February, with an anticipated start in November: http://www.bidclerk.com/project.703016.html

Keep in mind, though, that a bid request also went out a year earlier with an anticipated start in October 2010...so nothing is set in stone, but it is a possibility.

citybooster

May 9th, 2011, 04:42 AM

Thanks for the update,tbal.Won't get my hopes up but really seeing at least the first Journal Square tower
starting up would be very satisfying indeed.

JCMAN320

May 10th, 2011, 04:27 PM

105 York thats the Provident Bank parking lot right?

tbal

May 10th, 2011, 10:41 PM

No, 105 York is between Washington and Warren...closer to the Gotham apartments (actually, I think the overall project site includes the parking lot that is a the intersection of York & Warren, directly across the street from the Gotham building).

FYI - 109 Columbus was on the agenda at tonight's Planning Board meeting (I did not attend though), so it looks like construction might finally resume on that project by year's end. The developer is calling for 24 residential units instead of having the entire building dedicated to office space as the original plans included.

JCMAN320

May 11th, 2011, 01:07 AM

Ok I know where its at across from Prep. Is 109 Columbus where Harborside Plaza 4 was gonna be?

Nvm lol I found out its the place around the corner from Hard Grove that was stalled with the foundation poured.

JCMAN320

May 14th, 2011, 08:47 PM

Monaco Gets Restaurant & Bank as First Retail Tenants; Ribbon-Cutting Slated for Thursday
By Jon Whiten • May 11th, 2011 • Category: Blog, Food, News

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/monaco.jpg

Developer Roseland Property Company says two retail spaces at its new Monaco luxury rental building have been leased, as it prepares to host an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning.

VB3, which is described as “an Italian pizza bar,” has leased a 3,800 square foot unit, and Sovereign Bank has leased a 4,100-square-foot unit. Both tenants will open “later this year,” according to a release from the developer.

“Monaco’s location on the light rail and Washington Boulevard lend a significant advantage to retailers in terms of attracting new business,” says Carl Goldberg, Partner in Roseland Property Company. “Retailers will benefit from an instant audience of hotel and luxury apartments above, office users, and waterfront visitors.”

The project, which was originally slated to be condominiums but was later switched to apartments, is a collaboration between Roseland, Garden State Development and Hartz Mountain Industries. The development features two 50-story towers, with 524 residential units, 12,000 square feet of ground-level retail space and a 10-story parking deck.

Developers, elected officials and others will be at the Washington Boulevard development Thursday morning for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. With the addition of the Monaco, Jersey City now has the state’s tallest buildings in three main categories: rental building, office building (Goldman Sachs) and condo building (Trump Plaza). The building started leasing in March, and rents range from $2,250 for studio apartments to $9,000 for three-bedroom penthouses.

“The opening of Monaco sets a new standard for rental luxury in Jersey City but more importantly, it is a milestone for the apartment rental market and for Jersey City,” Goldberg says. “Monaco is the first luxury rental to hit the market in years, and the pent-up demand for high-end product is deeper than anyone could have anticipated.”

The ribbon-cutting is slated for 10 am on Thursday.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/05/11/monaco-gets-restaurant-bank-as-first-retail-tenants-ribbon-cutting-slated-for-thursday/

JCMAN320

May 14th, 2011, 08:50 PM

Tribeca Pediatrics & Tribeca Parenting Expanding to Jersey City; New Downtown Location Opens Next Week
By Jon Whiten • May 13th, 2011 • Category: Blog, News

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tribecapediatrics.png

As spring has come to Jersey City, Downtown’s Hamilton Park has been filled with children — in strollers and on feet, bikes and scooters — day after day. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why the latest addition to the neighboring Hamilton Square development — the first New Jersey office of Tribeca Pediatrics and Tribeca Parenting — is creating a huge buzz among Jersey City’s parents.

“With the huge influx of residents to Jersey City over the last decade, we recognized there was a significant need for more pediatricians,” says Eric Silverman, one of the two brother/partners in Silverman, the development company behind Hamilton Square. “It struck us that what would really round-out our development was a top pediatric practice that would cater to the burgeoning parent community in Downtown Jersey City.”

So Eric and his brother Paul met with Tribeca Pediatrics founder Dr. Michel Cohen about opening a practice here.

“He loved the idea, and thought the setting was perfect,” Paul Silverman says.

Cohen has already crossed the East River with his business, which he started more than 20 years ago out of his home, and currently has Brooklyn offices in Williamsburg, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, and Fort Greene, in addition to Manhattan locations in Chelsea, the Upper East Side and, of course, Tribeca. The doctor says he was convinced to cross the Hudson River in part due to the migration of many New York City families to Jersey City.

“Jersey City has changed so much in the last ten years, and we’ve seen a significant number of New York families moving to the area,” Cohen says. “We are thrilled to open this location at Hamilton Square as our first in New Jersey, and look forward to providing our accessible healthcare approach to the community.”

Known for its low-intervention philosophy where “less medicine is often the best medicine,” Tribeca Pediatrics creates what it dubs a “uniquely hip, playful environment” that aims to have kids forget they are even in a doctor’s office. The Jersey City location will be led by Dr. Monika Symms, a New Jersey native, and it opens Monday, May 16.

“Frankly, I can’t wait,” Hamilton Park resident Noreen Kelly-Najah says. “Just knowing that I can walk my sick child over to the doctor’s office gives me incredible peace of mind.”

A hallmark of Tribeca Pediatrics is its commitment to “parent support,” hence the 2010 founding of its affiliate organization, Tribeca Parenting, which will be joining Tribeca Pediatrics in the new Jersey City location.

Available to all parents, not just those who use the pediatric practice, Tribeca Parenting offers classes based on specific parenting needs, from pregnancy through the challenges of the teen years. Childbirth education, newborn care, and CPR classes will kick-off the series in Jersey City, with new topics added to the roster over time.

“Parents need resources for the various stages their children go through. Hospitals and other facilities put the emphasis on pregnancy classes, but that’s just the beginning of the road,” says Erica Lyon, Tribeca Parenting’s consulting director. “We’ve developed our curriculum to age-up with families so no matter what the parenting issue may be chances are there is a resource here. Parents need a trusted, non-judgmental guide to help navigate this territory as there is often so little support for them after their baby is born.”

Jayne Freeman contributed to this report.

THE DETAILS

Tribeca Pediatrics & Tribeca Parenting; 21 McWilliams Place. For more information on classes and hours, call 201-706-7175 or click here.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/05/13/tribeca-pediatrics-new-downtown-location-opens-next-week/

JCMAN320

May 14th, 2011, 08:56 PM

Enormous Contemporary Art Center, Host to Galleries, Foundations and — Yes — a Beer Garden, Opens This Weekend in Jersey City
By Jon Whiten • May 13th, 2011 • Category: Arts, Blog, Food, News

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/mana.png

One of the most significant fine art and arts-business events in years is set for this weekend in Jersey City, but it is not happening where you likely think it is. It’s not Downtown, but the industrial outskirts of Journal Square — rife with raw industrial loft space (some of which has already been refashioned into condos by CANCOlofts) — that will be home to the new 125,000-square-foot Mana Contemporary Art Center, which celebrates its grand opening Sunday.

The space at 888 Newark Avenue is home to The Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation and Trinkhalle Restaurant, and brings together artist studios, performance and exhibition spaces, and art-storage facilities all under one roof.

If the name Mana rings a bell to Jersey City art scenesters, there’s a reason. Mana Fine Arts previously operated out of the Moishe’s Moving Company building under the New Jersey Turnpike extension in Downtown Jersey City; the space was an art-storage facility, and it also hosted a number of exhibitions in the first floor gallery, including the 2006 studio tour show What Have You Got to Say?

Mana Fine Arts later secured the massive space at 888 Newark Avenue, and the owners decided to bring in an art foundation to act as a flagship for the building. That foundation ended up being The Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation, which aims to bridge the gap between artists, collectors, galleries, museums and cultural institutions and is now headquartered on the sixth floor of Mana Contemporary. The center’s owners say they plan on eventually bringing five more arts foundations to the building — one on each floor.

“The foundation will create a community and the business will build around it,” Mana Contemporary founder and director (and former Moishe’s CEO) Eugene Lemay says. “There are thousands of galleries in New York. We’re not trying to compete with that. But not everyone shows the eyes of the collector.”

Several floors of the center will be dedicated to art storage, others will include customizable artist studios, and Mana has just announced a partnership with Videoart.net to establish a new screening room dedicated to showcasing contemporary international video art and experimental film. A sculpture garden, theater partnership and artist residency program are all reportedly in the works as well.

And to top it all off, the renowned Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner is bringing his latest creation — Trinkhalle Restaurant — to the center. The restaurant and beer garden will feature a “modern interpretation of Austrian cuisine” from Gutenbrunner, the chef and co-owner of NYC restaurants Wallsé, Blaue Gans and Café Kristall, as well as a series of rotation art exhibitions and performances.

“We want every form of the arts here,” Lemay says. “Now we’re not just an art moving and storage company.”

Photo of Mana Contemporary’s soft opening courtesy of Mana Contemporary.

THE DETAILS

Mana Contemporary Art Center celebrates its Grand Opening this Sunday, May 15 with an all-day celebration that features tours of the Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation and the exhibition on display there, live music from David Sheetrit, DJ Nick Cohen, (U)nity and Hazmat Modine, and the grand opening of Trinkhalle, with an open bar from 4 to 5 pm. For a full schedule of the day’s events, and to RSVP, go here: http://www.artmanafest.com/