Gov. Murphy To Attend Groundbreaking On Hoboken Waterfront

HOBOKEN, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, and federal, state, and local officials will host a groundbreaking on Thursday morning for the Rebuild by Design resiliency project in Hoboken.

The project, made possible by over $230 million in Sandy recovery funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has been in planning stages for several years and will serve to protect the city of Hoboken from the effects of storm surge flooding and climate change. READ MORE: Hoboken Floods From Second '50-Year-Storm' In 2 Weeks

The initial stages of the project will begin with sewer improvements in south Hoboken in the near future. Above-ground flood protection will include a public park in North Hoboken at Cove Park, as well as other community amenities. READ MORE: DEP To Hold Meeting On Hoboken's $230B Anti-Flood Plan

The event will be livestreamed on the Governor's official YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/njgovernorsoffice

The event will start at 11:30 a.m. at Pier A Park, 100 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken. Attendees will be required to adhere to social distancing protocols. Only credentialed members of the media will be permitted entrance to the area where the event is being held.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development launched the Rebuild by Design (RBD) competition in the summer of 2013 to find ways to reduce flooding in areas affected by Superstorm Sandy.

Among six national winners was the plan for Hoboken — which is also meant to combat flooding in low-lying parts of nearby Weehawken and Jersey City.

Hoboken's low-lying areas notoriously flood during severe storms, as happened this past summer.

Street closures to come

Soon, the DEP will be separating portions of the city's old-fashioned combined sewer system into separate sanitary and stormwater lines.

The sewer modification work will necessitate some temporary road closures and detours in the areas of Sinatra Drive, Newark Street, River Street, Hudson Street, Hudson Place and will include the intersection of Hudson Street and Observer Highway.

This work is a first step in preparing the city for construction of the above-ground flood protection measures in south Hoboken to protect from storm surge, and be constructed in a later stages next year. The below-ground work will help prevent storm surge from the Hudson River from penetrating the city through the sewer system, once the above-ground protection is constructed.

In order to minimize pedestrian and vehicular disruptions in the area, the Hoboken City Council approved a resolution on March 17, 2021 authorizing night work to take place on designated streets in the area.

According to the city, the DEP is working closely with city officials, the HPD, HFD, NJ Transit, and the Port Authority to mitigate traffic, commuter disruption, and noise disruption to the fullest extent possible.

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