Newark: Real Estate, Development, News, & Politics

[block944]

nevermind:
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.

[Jspellma]

So you mean to tell me that the Heliport proposed for Newark is no longer in the works?

[Jspellma]

[QUOTE=block944;303128]Any word on the lawsuit from Jersey city on this project?

We Fly High: Newark Heliport/Heliplex

February 25, 2008

Wow! We’re finally getting that “world-class and state-of-the-art heliplex facility!”

“This facility will provide civil aviation services to Fortune 500 employers in the City and throughout the state and surrounding region. The strategic location of this facility will encourage economic growth and increase employment opportunities in Newark.”

I don’t know about this “strategic location.” It is three miles away from Broad and Market Streets – Downtown:

View Larger Map

“This is an important project to bolster Newark’s plan to increase public safety and to help reinvigorate economic development in this community,” said Steven Trenk, Managing Director of Air Pegasus Helicopters, LLC. “I am proud that we are able to take the lead in a project that I know is right for the community, right for the Newark Police Department, and right for the City of Newark.”

Artist Rendering (click to enlarge):
The Air Pegasus Metro Heliplex heliport will service the:

• Newark Police Department
• Other Law Enforcement Agencies
(at all levels of government)
• Air Ambulances
• Corporate and Charter Operators
• News Media
• Express Delivery Services
• Helicopters and Heliports

Facilities and Amenities include:

• Mechanic’s Office
• Parts Room
• Pilot Areas with Direct Access to the
• Hangar including Direct Visual Oversight
• Office Space
• Locker Rooms
• Pilots Lounge
• Sleep Room
• Exercise Room
• Full Bathroom and Shower Facilities
• Weather/Flight Planning Facilities
• Kitchen
• Conference Area
• Training Area

["Wow! We’re finally getting that “world-class and state-of-the-art heliplex facility!”]

Are you saying this? Or did the journalist write this? Is it really coming because it will help Newark economically if we have this heliport. Every other major city has one!

[newarkdevil1]

Originally Posted by newarkhiphop

anybody know what there building here

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&so...ed=0CA0Q8gEwAA

its like 1000-1002 broad street

I am almost positive it's a Regan development project. Mixed use and they were going to build it Vanilla box and let people decide how they wanted the condo to look. I will find the link and repost it.

[scrollhectic]

So, does anyone know anything about when all the debris from the former Westinghouse will be removed? Is leaving the debris there part of the soil remediation process or did someone run out of money?

[scrollhectic]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 29, 2009
Filed at 10:49 a.m. ET

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Loiterers and criminals on the nighttime streets of New Jersey's largest city have some company -- concerned citizens and government workers who are cruising neighborhoods in an effort to reduce crime.

Under Newark's ''Crime Caravan'' program, volunteer convoys have been rolling through the city's roughest neighborhoods a few nights each week since Sept. 29. More than 120 volunteers in 45 vehicles hit the streets Monday, breaking off into five groups, called ''packs.'' Each pack was led by an off-duty police officer in an unmarked car with flashing emergency lights.

It's about ''waving the flag'' and stressing that Newark is a city of laws again, according to Mayor Cory Booker, who initiated the trial program to dampen crime this fall. Critics say the patrols are a political ploy by the mayor and could endanger the civilians who participate.

''The caravan gives people a sense of strength and security,'' said Booker, who is trying to fashion a national blueprint for renewal in a former icon for inner-city decay. ''They let criminals know we're taking the city back.''

The cash-strapped city pays nothing for the program, and supporters say it channels community angst about violence into a force multiplier for police. The packs look a lot like the multi-vehicle police impact teams -- known to locals as ''trains'' -- that are filled with heavily armed officers.

Civilian volunteers aren't allowed out of the vehicles, most of which are white vans paid for with charitable donations.

The program also helps Booker politically by harnessing the same popular angst over community violence as his opponents, who have been holding anti-violence protest rallies in key city intersections.

John Sharpe James -- son of former Mayor Sharpe James -- is part of that movement. The former U.S. Army major views the caravan program as strictly a political ploy.

''I see no effect'' from them on street violence, James said.

Jack Calhoun, a law enforcement consultant for the National League of Cities, said the citizen patrols are a novel way to elevate civic activism -- instead of just relying on the police to do everything.

''Community fear is a big issue in crime-torn areas,'' said Calhoun, who manages the California Cities Gang Prevention Network.

Jeff Walker, a criminal justice professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said the patrols advance two other law enforcement objectives by raising police visibility and disrupting the street drug trade by increasing ''search time,'' referring to the amount of time it takes an illegal drug user to find a dealer.

''Anything that increases search time is good because some people will just give up,'' Walker said. ''My only concern about the caravan is the potential for civilian injury once people on the street realize they're not trains.''

Both Calhoun and Walker said they were unaware of similar programs in other cities.

Monday's caravan left at 11 p.m. -- just hours after Newark's 58th homicide of the year -- and returned after three hours on patrol. The five packs didn't make any arrests, but they garnered plenty of attention. For organizers, that's the whole point.

''The goal is deterrence,'' Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Campos said.

People loitering on the street moved quickly when the packs rolled through Monday night.

Six teenage boys were prowling the streets of a Newark neighborhood at around 12:30 a.m. when Booker's pack pulled up beside them.
''Come on guys,'' said Booker, 40. ''It's way too late. Go home.''

Recognition quickly gave way to smiles.

''Hey, it's Cory Booker,'' said one teen.

''Go home,'' the mayor repeated, impatiently.

''We are, we are,'' a second teen replied, explaining that the group had encountered a similar pack minutes earlier.

''We don't want any trouble,'' a third teen said.

The caravan idea is similar to a tactic Booker used as a city councilman, when he parked a motor home in troubled neighborhoods to disrupt drug dealing. The caravan lets people join him.

Some civilian participants are looking to make a difference. Others just want to spend time with a popular mayor who has become a celebrity after appearing on NBC's ''Tonight Show,'' HBO's ''Real Time With Bill Maher'' and ''The Colbert Report'' on Comedy Central.

Joseph Gallant, 19, and two of his classmates from Rider University joined Monday's caravan after Booker mentioned the program at their school. The Newark native said he likes that the program provides motivated citizens with an outlet.

''You don't want a disconnect between citizens and police,'' Gallant said.
Booker hopes the caravan will help preserve the strides the city of 281,000 residents has already made in reducing shootings and killings. The number of Newark shooting victims fell 32 percent to 344 in 2008, from 503 in 2006. Homicides fell 36 percent during the same period to 67.

Newark is on pace for fewer shootings this year, but more homicides.
Booker took office in July 2006. He succeeded Sharpe James, who is in prison for his role in the cut-rate sale of city land to a former mistress.
The mayor said the big test for the caravan program will occur on Halloween and ''Mischief Night,'' a night before Halloween long associated with vandalism.

''Those are the two nights we're going to roll hard,'' Booker said.

[scrollhectic]

Originally Posted by newarkhiphop

anybody know what there building here

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&so...ed=0CA0Q8gEwAA

its like 1000-1002 broad street

Packard Lofts (read below)

Luxury homes coming to Newark's Broad Street

By Chanta Jackson
February 12, 2009, 5:37AM

The economy is supposed to be slumping. Depending on who you talk to, now is supposed to be a bad time to expend millions of dollars in a city that isn't a sure thing yet.

Apparently the people in the luxury residence business have not been talking to those folks. Richardson Lofts is on the way, 1180 Raymond Blvd. is quite full and soon there will be another option right on Broad Street.

Then again, when your target audience is used to paying more than $2,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, or $2,200 a month for a studio with a kitchenette on Wall Street, maybe it isn't hard to fill a building up. Especially when you offer more space than your Manhattan counterparts.

With this in mind, allow me to introduce you to the soon-to-be-built Packard Lofts, located at 1002-1008 Broad Street. East Kinney Street is the cross street, for those who follow the grid. For those who travel by landmarks, it's the white, three-story building down the street from Symphony Hall. It's also where Nathan's Famous hot dogs used to be.

And if you remember when the bulldogs were the mascot for Southside High School, it's the building that used to be a Buick dealership.

Now that we are all on the same page, let's plunge deeper into the city's latest high post-mixed-use residence. Currently the structure is two separate buildings, which will naturally be combined into 76,478 square feet of space.

You want more depth, don't you. Okay. We'll start on the ground floor.

The main entrance will be on Broad Street and the ground floor will house the lobby, as well as retail and commercial space. Anyone thinking about occupying the retail space will have the 7,152 square feet in the southwestern corner of the building available. That's the corner closest to the intersection of Broad Street and East Kinney Street.

An ideal occupant, at least in the eyes of the developers, is one that will cater to the residents who live above it, as well as the people who will work in the commercial space.

Now if you were thinking about claiming the 12,880 square feet of commercial space to possibly open another hot dog joint, or even sell alternative-fuel motor vehicles, forget it.

The U.S. General Services Administration, a branch of the federal government that provides, well, general service (feel free to look them up at www.gsa.gov ), is already lined up to move into the space. The men and women who support the operations of the federal district courts and the courthouse on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will work there.

But the bell of this ball is the living space, housed on the second and third floors. A total of 56,446 square feet will be strategically spliced into 28 residential units, with an average of 1,150 square feet of living space per unit.

The plan is to sell them off as loft-style, live-work spaces with an open floor plan with bedroom enclosures. If executed, potential buyers will meet with the developer to discuss wall placement, colors, fixtures and whatever else isn't tied to the plumbing.

Most of the units will be one-bedroom designs. There may be four or five two-bedroom designs and even a couple with mezzanines, for those who want a private outdoor experience.

Residents who don't mind sharing the outdoors with their neighbors will have the chance on the roof of the building. Passive recreation is how some people would describe it. Food and drinks and anything else within the rules set by the developer will be allowed on the roof, assuming that they get around to setting rules for the roof.

If the plan to sell the units holds, owners will enjoy a 30-year tax-abatement, sponsored by the city of Newark. A parking plan has not been finalized, but one of the partners in the project owns the lot next to the building and spaces may be made available to residents.

Hard hats are in the middle of selective demolition, removing everything that will not be used in Packard Lofts. The commercial space should be up and running by the summer. The rest of the building is scheduled to open at the end of the year.

All of this will cost $11.4 million. The developer ponied up $5.4 million and the believers at Crown Bank offered $6 million in construction financing.
The price of admission has yet to be established, but residents in some of downtown Newark's newer apartments pay as much as $1,650 a month for a one-bedroom residence and $2,420 a month for two bedrooms.

So whether they rent the Packards or sell them, they won't be cheap. But at least you'll get a full kitchen.

[block944]

Wow I had no idea that what that building was

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...105_1110912422

http://p.rdcpix.com/v01/la62d3742-c20o.jpg

[newarkhiphop]

Originally Posted by block944

Wow I had no idea that what that building was

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...105_1110912422

http://p.rdcpix.com/v01/la62d3742-c20o.jpg

me neither , this place too

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...102_1113258389

always thought those were offices

[newarkdevil1]

I love that these buildings are getting restored and the owners are adding unique touches that separate them from the stock Condo buildings that go up.

[block944]

Report: Nets could remain in New Jersey if Brooklyn move falls through

By Dave D'Alessandro/The Star-Ledger

November 14, 2009, 8:15PM

Mikhail Metzel/Associated PressIt is believed potential Nets owner Mikhail Prokorov might be inclined to buy the Nets and keep them in New Jersey if the price is right, according to the report.NOTEBOOK

MIAMI — The Nets have a safety net in Newark if the Brooklyn deal falls through, an unsourced ESPN.com report suggested Saturday.

The report stated that Mikhail Prokhorov is willing to buy the team at a reduced rate and keep it in New Jersey if the Atlantic Yards project cannot go forward, which directly contradicts what the team and the league have been saying since the Russian oligarch bid $200 million for a controlling share of the Nets in September.

Nets CEO Brett Yormark would not comment on the report, which others in the organization say originated from the league, and not the team.

Both Nets owner Bruce Ratner and NBA commissioner David Stern have stated recently that if Atlantic Yards doesn’t get under way, it’s a deal-breaker, and that Prokhorov will take his billions and go home. But that might have changed in the months since they made those assertions.

But one minority partner, who requested anonymity so he could speak candidly, said Saturday it is believed that Prokhorov “might be inclined to still buy and keep it in Jersey” if the price could be worked out.

Yormark would only say that the Jersey option will be moot as soon as the Nets take possession of the land in Brooklyn: “There are bulldozers on the site right now,” the CEO said here Saturday.
“There is preparatory activity, and we will commence construction in mid-December. We’re just as confident as ever that we’ll be in Brooklyn.”

That cannot happen until some eminent domain issues and bond sales go forward, however.





On a side note nets are 0-10 :X

[JCMAN320]

Yea thats what happen when you dump all your good players to clear cap space for hopes of landing Lebron, D-Wade etc.. next year; atleast the Knicks have one win even if it is their worst start in franchise history.

This is great news!!!!!

[block944]

Welcome to Newark International ... Shopping Mall?

Posted on November 16, 2009 at 11:43 am ET by Carl Unger, SmarterTravel.com Staff
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Anyone who's flown in the past 10 or 15 years has no doubt noticed the "mallification" of the world's airports, with retail stores and restaurants popping up in ever-greater abundance and sophistication. It's no longer uncommon to see high-end designer storefronts blur by as you sprint through the terminal to your flight.
As it turns out, these various retail outlets have not only become part of the airport experience, but, along with terminal services like parking, are also essential to the airports' bottom line.
Advertisement

In 2008, non-aviation operating revenue at U.S. airports was $7.5 billion, up 6.4 percent from 2007. That's as passenger volume fell 3.6 percent.
Breaking down that $7.5 billion shows that parking services is the biggest revenue generator, at $3 billion. Rental car operations kick in another $1.5 billion, while retail brings in $639 million and food and beverage services contribute $569 million.
As the travel sector continues to struggle and shrink, this expanding revenue base will come in handy.
Readers, do you shop at the airport? Or do you think the preponderance of retail and restaurants is an eyesore? Leave a comment below with your thoughts. Thanks!

[block944]

BRICK CITY REJUVENATION

Newark construction continues, and vagrants find new homes

CALVIN I OKWUEGO OBSERVER STAFF WRITER

Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Observations

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The restoration of Newark is underway. Forty years have passed since National guardsmen roamed the streets monitoring the movement of retaliates in the central ward.

State Troopers accompanied local enforcement to restore civil abidance.

Newark has been disserviced with corrupt politicians as well.

With the exception of Mayor Booker, former mayor's Addonizo, Gibson, and James were convicted on corruption charges.

Despite the historical stigmas of Newark, the city continues to move forward.

A population of about 282,000 and a multiplicity of ethnicities distinguish Newark as unique from neighboring cities.

Over the years, new developments have cropped up. Prudential arena, NJPAC, and Bears stadium have all attracted outsiders to come patronize events.

The destruction of housing projects paved the way for enterprises moving into Newark.

Prince Street projects, Brick Towers, and Stella Wright Homes, conventionally associated with high crime rates, were all things that hindered the development of lovely Newark.

"Newark showed a reduction in violent crime - a reduction that had Newark recognized as one of the top cities in America for violent crime reduction. But for me, it wasn't enough - I was not happy with our progress and, after 5 years of violent crime increases with a one-year incremental reduction.," said Mayor Booker in Newark Moving Forward 2008

The Utopian ideal of having zero crime is surreal. However, Newark is grappling with this reality.

Abandonment and homelessness were major issues plaguing Brick City.

Panhandlers and the urban nomads are reducing widely in all wards. The city is divided into five wards, North, Central, East, South, and West.

The downtown district is classified as the Central ward. Downtown-Newark has drastically changed since the development of major attractions.

An abundance of drugs dealers and panhandlers are no longer in eyesight on corners. Abandoned property has been filled," said Marcus Felson Author/ Professor of Criminal Justice.

The demolition of abandoned property and housing projects is the beginning of Newark's renaissance period.

People that reside in former abandonments are equipped to meet the demands of property ownership.

Individuals are no longer reliant on governmental aid such as welfare, social security, or disability. Rather, new classes of individuals have settled in Newark.

Lincoln Street Park Lofts have provided an image for new Newark.

The twenty-seven unit housing incorporates eight architectural style brownstones, twelve condominiums, and seven four story single family homes. People can now live comfortably where they work.

Outsiders should no longer feel threatened by the false stereotypes.

The Newark Housing Authority plans to develop affordable townhouses to accommodate those in need.

The south and west ward are the riskiest areas of Newark. South ward consists of Chancellor and Lyons Avenue, and Weequahic area Clinton and S. Orange avenues encompasses parts of the west ward.

Acoustic gunshot sensors have helped authorities in dealing with crime.

This technological advance has contributed to safer environments for these communities.

The Division of Planning and Community Development of Newark has proposed three major steps toward redevelopment of the south and west wards.

"1.) Establish an appropriate mix of land uses suitable for a vibrant neighborhood commercial area.

2.) Encourage the redevelopment of land to create development consistent with the surrounding neighborhood.

3.) Integrate new urban design standards for signage and building facades that prevent unattractive building changes from marring the revitalization of the neighborhood," noted The Division of Planning and Community of Newark.

The North and East ward are the predominately Hispanic speaking parts of Newark. Recently, the Branch Brook Condominiums a 36 unit infrastructure with a gymnasium, dual bath and bedroom, and gated parking lot opened in the North Ward.

The east ward diversity continues to contribute to the uniqueness of Newark.

Residential developments in all wards of Newark contribute to revitalization.

Richardson Loft's and Packard Loft's and affordable low income housing and the reduction of crime pave the way for a better Newark.

[tbal]

I saw some survey work for 1 Center Street taking place about a month ago. If Dranoff does in fact break ground next year as anticipated, once that 40+ story tower is about halfway done in 2011, heads are going to start turning when people pass through Newark.

Not even Jersey City has the density of Infrastructure seen in Newark. The only thing holding Newark back at this point is the stigma associated with it.