Hoboken

[Spoon]

You said it Ninjahedge there are condos sprouting up all over the place in this town and there are variances given out left and right and when I went to apply for a roof deck, forget it. It is like the impossible dream eventhough my roof was designed and set up for recreational purposes and is deeded to me.

The process they make you jump through is incredible and essentially it is all based upon 1 guys decision who doesn't approve anything.

[Ninjahedge]

I was told that the best thing to do for roof deck is get a temporary deck. I believe you can get 4x4 platforms and shim them to the required height to keep the surface level.

I just think that you cannot go overboard, like having furnature left out (mayve get a storage bin and place it up there?) and things like propane are a BIG no-no.


The second big problem with things like roof decks are the fact that you get tax-assessed and could be paying a pretty penny on it...

Oh, one oher thing you may want to look at is instead of simple sheeting and tar, maybe you can put up a gravel-based lightweight paving stone or tile up there. THAT would be a little harder to define directly as construction. You would just ahve to make sure that your roof is rated for the extra dead load, and extra people load or you might have leakage (or god forbid structural failure!).

I would also get a copy of whatever codes and regulations they have on thi sand read through them before you do any of this. If you find a way to put up something that cannot be classified as unsafe or permanent, I do not think you would need the same approvals or permits....




Also, if you DO get these codes, let me know. I have been thinking of something similar for quite a while..... I would like to be able to use our roof space, but not if I have to "rent" it from the city, you know?

[Zoe]

The first condo I purchased here was a top floor unit. It was new construction and I pressed the builder to do the work for me (I paid him of course). He at first didn't want to be bothered but it was worth staying after him. That way when he applied for the CO it was approved along with the building.
Dealing with that construction office is a horrible experience. They belittle the residents who come in to the office. Its a boys club for only the builders and inspectors to hang out in. I am glad to hear that an agency outside of Hoboken city government is taking a look into that office.

[TimmyG]

Helmers' aims for March reopening
Saturday, February 10, 2007 By COTTON DELO
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A landmark Hoboken restaurant may reopen next month.
Helmers' Cafe, 1036 Washington St., closed indefinitely in May after a four-alarm fire that began in an upstairs apartment caused extensive water and smoke damage.
Manager and third-generation owner Richard Lueders said he is striving to reopen the restaurant in early March but wouldn't set a precise date.
The building is still enveloped in scaffolding.
The German eatery - serving Old World fare like wienerschnitzel and bratwurst and an extensive selection of lagers and ales - was established in 1935 and has in the Lueders family since 1949.

[Ninjahedge]

Helmers, sad to say, was not a place I would have recommended to anyone looking for good food.

Let me give you an example. A German Restaurant that served Chicken Fingers, Some form of Lo-Main, and I believe something like Lasagna.

The prices were WAY over the top and the food was so-so (the shnitzel was plain and dry, the sausages were so-so with very tough skins.....)

The beer selection was great, but no real specials or events. I hope they correct these things. The place was never BAD, it was just never very GOOD....

[threefire]

There was a lot of talk late last year but it seems to have disappeared.

Is it going to be built? Are they still negotiating (between developer and clearview or who else)? Or has it been pulled?

Any news at all?

Thx

[TimmyG]

Last I heard the theater had been approved by the city council. I don't know if there are any more steps required. It sounds like the developer will be able to build it without parking (a bad idea in my mind). You can read more about it here. http://hoboken411.com/archives/4111#more-4111

[macmini]

Construction Starts for 30-Condo Project
By Eric Peterson




HOBOKEN, NJ-Bijou Properties has started construction for Garden Street Lofts, a project that involves conversion of an 80-year-old, seven-story warehouse building into loft-style residential condos. The project will bring a total of 30 new residences to market, with sales slated to start later this month. Initial occupancy is slated for April 2008.

The building is located at the intersection of Garden and 14th streets in this waterfront city’s Uptown District. The redevelopment of the building also includes 8,300 sf of ground-floor retail space. The project was designed by Manhattan-based Sharples Holden Pasquarelli.

The property is also being redeveloped to Silver LEED standards, according to Larry Bijou, managing partner of the Teaneck-based Bijou Properties. “LEED certification requires documentation of the entire building process, including the recycling and reuse of existing construction materials, development of high-performance energy systems, use of sustainable products, water and energy efficiency, air quality and human health,” Bijou says.

“This is the first residential high-rise of its kind in New Jersey,” Bijou says. “Hopefully, many more will follow to help reflect on the way we live in ever-increasing urban environments.”

[Ninjahedge]

Finally. Looks like it is going up right next to the 7 story parking garage with only 7' curb standoff (creating the Great Hoboken Canyon).

I am all for this development and redevelopment, but they have to stop waiving the codes every time a developer waives money at them.

They seem to not mind things like small curb standoffs, but god forbid they put in balconies. Hoboken leadership needs to revamp their codes before we end up with a bunch of pre-fabs or conversions with only a 5-10 year shelf life. (Walk around Hoboken and see the 2000 pre-fabs and their peeling liners, waterstains from ill-thought drainage schemes, and overall deterioration and you will see what I mean. They are not BAD now, but give them another 5-10).

[millertime83]

New construction coming to train terminal area
City Council designates NJ Transit site as 'redevelopment zone'
By Michael D. Mullins

Just as the Hoboken Train Terminal celebrates its 100th anniversary (see story, p. x), the City Council last week approved a Planning Board study that found the terminal and yard next to it to be in need of redevelopment, but it is not known yet whether the new construction will involve residential units, or will only include retail or office space.

City Community Development Director Fred Bado said last week that both residential and retail construction are likely.

The study that was approved by the council last week, which the Planning Board conducted from June to November, determined that approximately 52 acres of New Jersey Transit's 65-acre Hoboken Terminal and Yard complex are an "underutilized resource." The study declared that "significant portions of the Study Area are in disrepair, vacant, obsolete, [and] unsafe."


After naming 13 areas within NJ Transit's property that the Planning Board felt impacted negatively on Hoboken, the study recommended that the city enter into a development agreement with the transit agency to increase revenue for the city through someday taxing areas of the site that are not used for transit purposes. In other words, if NJ Transit redevelops them for housing or other uses, the city will get the tax dollars. Currently, NJT is exempt from paying local taxes due to the transportation service it provides.


According to Fred Bado, the city's director of Community Development, the study was part of a joint development process between Hoboken and NJT.

Now, the city will hire a planner to prepare a redevelopment plan to submit to the City Council. The plan will outline what the city would like to see built on the property. Once the plan is put into an ordinance and accepted by the council, it can subsequently be implemented by NJT.

Bado mentioned that community involvement will be an essential aspect to the development process so that the city can represent the interests of its residents.

Bado said that the anticipated plans appear to call for a mixed-use complex that will include residential, commercial, and retail space.

NJT Spokesman Dan Stessel responded to Bado's assessment of the future property by calling it a "safe assumption," but would not provide further details.

"NJT hasn't formerly announced any plans," he said, "[but we] are exploring ways to make the terminal work better for its customers and Hoboken residents."


Council divided on matter



Not everyone on the council was supportive of the measure, as seen in the 5-3-1 vote that approved the resolution.

Both 1st Ward Councilwoman Theresa Castellano and 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Russo voted against the resolution and wanted to know more abut the redevelopment process before they endorsed it.

The other dissenting vote came from 5th Ward Councilman Michael Cricco, who felt the city and NJT had not gone far enough in reaching out to the community and getting residential input in the process.

Cricco proposed creating a resident-led committee for the upcoming project.

Councilman-at-Large Peter Cammarano abstained from vote due to what he considered a conflict of interest, because the law firm he works for has NJT as a client.

In response to doubts about public involvement, Bado said, "I know the city and I know the City Council, and we're not going to accept some plan already done. We will have input into [the plan] and we will openly decide what that [plan] is going to be."

Questions were also raised by the public as to why a state agency, which does not need local municipal approval to build on its property, would include Hoboken through the redevelopment plan.

Bado acknowledged that NJT could have used several different agencies to complete the development, such as a state redevelopment agency, economic development administration, or regional improvement authority, but they wanted to work with Hoboken to ensure local input into the process.

Stessel reaffirmed this point this week, saying, "Whenever we undertake a project of this nature, we look for the community to advance any development idea."

Although Bado reinforced the positive aspects of the redevelopment plan, he also acknowledged the complexity involved with constructing a mixed-use building surrounded by a mass transit system and making sure that it does not interfere with the train's operations.

Bado mentioned an idea of putting a deck over the rail yard and building over the redevelopment zone. But later he said it would cost too much money.



The master developer and its history



In October of 2005, NJT announced that it had selected LCOR Inc., a national real estate investment and development company that specializes in transit-oriented and mixed-use development projects, as its master developer for potential Hoboken Terminal and Yard development.

The Pennsylvania-based firm was formed in 1992 and has developed more than 20,000 residential units and over 16 million square feet of commercial space so far.

The recent renovations of Grand Central Terminal in New York City and the Washington Union Station in the District of Columbia as well as the newly constructed "Terminal Four" at John F. Kennedy International Airport can all be accredited to LCOR.

The developer will produce a master plan for the site, which will then go before NJT and the city of Hoboken for approval before being implemented.

Although the specifics are not yet available, the goals of the plan include enhancing operational efficiency between rail, light rail, ferry, bus, and PATH operations, and maximizing economic return through a transit-oriented development based around a mixed-use complex.

[TimmyG]

Uptown high-rise to hold charter school
'Park on Park' garage will close to make way
By Michael D. Mullins 02/25/2007

Hoboken's Zoning Board unanimously approved a proposal last week for a 12-story building at 1415 14th St. that will include donated space for one of the city's two charter schools.

In addition to carving out 180 condos, 371 parking spaces, and some retail space, developer Bijou Properties is donating 46,000 square feet in the building for the Elysian Charter School.

The plot of land is currently shared by the Park on Park Garage and an undeveloped dirt lot located on 15th Street between Garden Street and Park Avenue.

That will mean curtains for the 430-car parking garage, in a city that is strapped for parking. Developer Lawrence Bijou said he did not know exactly when the garage will close, but that ground will be broken on the new project within 12 months.

$100M project
The Hoboken-based firm Dean Marchetto Architects has been hired for the $100 million project, which has not yet been named, according to Bijou.

Twenty percent of the condos will be three and four-bedrooms so to provide living space for Hoboken families. Along the base of the building there will be 30,000 square feet of retail space.

After ground is broken on the project, it will take approximately 18 months to complete, according to Bijou.

Bijou is also converting the former Hostess Cupcake Factory on 14th Street and Park Avenue and currently converting the old "Coconut Building" on 14th and Garden streets, which is now called Garden Street Lofts.

The charter school's entrance will be on Garden Street and will open up to a lobby with a staircase and elevator, bringing students to their classrooms located on the second and third floors.

Much support and some opposition
The measure received an overwhelming amount of support from members of the public attending the meeting, many of whose children are enrolled in the Elysian Charter School.

Hoboken has two charter schools, which were founded in the 1990s by parents and meet state mandates in order to get public school funding.

"If it wasn't for Elysian, we couldn't stay in Hoboken," said Grace Leong, a parent of three, last week. Two of her children are enrolled in the school and her third is in a nursery program at All Saints Episcopal Day School. "[Bijou's] decision to donate this area and the board's decision to allow it makes it possible for our children to have their own gym, music room, and community all in one building. It's encouraging to see legislators and developers support local families and education like they did."

Elysian is currently divided between two locations, one at the Rue Building at 301 Garden St. and the other at the former Our Lady of Grace School Building at 422 Willow St.

Although Leong's sentiment was reiterated by several at the Zoning Board meeting, there was some opposition to the project, which required several variances.

Some expressed their concern about schoolchildren crossing the nearby streets, the anticipated increase in traffic caused by new residents, and a greater strain on the already limited parking situation.

In response to the safety issues, both parents and Zoning Board members said that crossing guards would adequately protect children from oncoming traffic, citing the 11th Street crosswalk used by the nearby Wallace Primary School.

Bijou added that there would be a drive-in/drop-off zone for parents to leave their children, as opposed to leaving them on the street.

Both the parking and traffic issues were addressed by the developers who argued, through planning experts, that there would be no significant impact on traffic in the area. They said that many of those who currently use the garage, which has a capacity to fit 430 vehicles and tends to be at 75 percent occupancy, will find other garages located in the area, such as those near the shipyard.

The 'green effect'
In addition to donating space to Elysian Charter, Bijou has also shown consideration for the community by constructing a building that will be the first mixed-use facility in Hoboken, if not the state, to be deemed a LEED Certified Gold-Standard structure for its environmental-friendly design and the sustainable materials being used to construct it.

LEED, which stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," is an industry standard used to designate properties that are environmentally safe.

Gold is the highest rating, outside of Platinum, that a structure can receive, which is based on the amount of features a building has that lessens the strain on the surrounding environment.

Some of the features of the proposed building are its "green roof," which will retain water that can be used for landscaping; an interior piping system that filters natural air into each unit without having to open a window, and the overall energy-conserving design that will help tenants save on bills and reduce the impact on the city's infrastructure.

"This is a great way to establish a vibrant neighborhood and build a cohesive, urban environment," said Bijou.

There will also be 20,000 square feet of green space dispersed between three gardens along the rooftops of the complex.

The charter school
Conceived in 1995 by a community group called Mile Square Families, the Elysian Charter School first opened its doors in September of 1997, having been one of New Jersey's original 13 charter schools.

The curriculum of the progressive public school focuses on social responsibility.

It receives most of its funding through the Hoboken Board of Education. However, the school has its own Board of Trustees that handles the curriculum and administration.

The public school currently has 280 students with more than 100 on a waiting list, according to Leong. Students are selected through an annual lottery where names are drawn at random, giving children from every socioeconomic class in the district a chance at attending the school.

The school has, on average, higher test scores than the other public elementary schools in the district, according to Elysian's Director Carol Stock.

Michael Mullins can be reached at mmullins@hudsonreporter.com

[Ninjahedge]

WHat they should be doing is trying to combine the things that are needed most in a city like Hoboken:

1. Living space
2. Parking
3. DAY CARE.

The school would be nice, but they need to explore the possibility of including a large day care facility ON PREMISIS that would allow "Mom and Dad" to drop off Jr downstairs before rushing off to the city for work.

The place would fill up even before plans were made.

[millertime83]

what's dumb about those Hoboken Reporter pictures of the 1415 14th St. Building is that the "before" and "after" pictures are not from the same vantage point.

The "before" is from across Park Ave, and the "after" photo is from across 15th Street with the Hudson Tea Buildings somehow turned into grass.

[Ninjahedge]

what's dumb about those Hoboken Reporter pictures of the 1415 14th St. Building is that the "before" and "after" pictures are not from the same vantage point.

The "before" is from across Park Ave, and the "after" photo is from across 15th Street with the Hudson Tea Buildings somehow turned into grass.

I noticed that.

The conversion going on now just miraculously dissappeared!

[ablarc]

The "before" is from across Park Ave, and the "after" photo is from across 15th Street with the Hudson Tea Buildings somehow turned into grass.

Will they bury the power lines?